"I like the company I keep with you."

That word never failed to ring in my mind. Over the past few days, I unexpectedly met Madaki, I contemplated contacting him but I declined the thoughts. I just couldn't, besides I had Tunde.

Wo, I don't know.

"Look at how she is smiling. Why is she shining her yeye teeth like that?" I was brought back from my lala land by Jola's voice who stood beside Fiyin as they both sneered at me.

"She found a new job?" Fiyin replied.

"I doubt it, she's always here."

"Then it is Tunde who is making her like this."

"Tunde? Tunde has never made her smile this much." Jola won't kee me o!

See these two foolish sisters o, gossiping about me in front of me as though I wasn't listening to them. I kissed my teeth in annoyance and slumped to the couch.

"Ah! Ah! On my daughter's wedding day is when you girls are sitting like this? Why are you sitting down, Yeside?" Iya Yeside exclaimed as she got in.

It wasn't even Okiki's wedding yet. Iya Yeside had set a date for Okiki's engagement this Saturday, Okiki had vehemently warned her not to make her engagement party crowded. It was nothing serious, just family from Jason's and ours too. I was excited about the decision my sister had made, she was finally getting married to the love of her life. Sometimes, I feared Jason wouldn't treat Okiki right. Okiki and I weren't as close in our adulthood as we were when we were kids but the thought of the miseries that came with marriage scared me. Something must be done about these fears I had and I was going to talk to her about it.

Iya Yeside on the other hand, surprisingly agreed to Okiki's wishes for the plans of her engagement party not that it came off as a new thing, Iya Yeside was religious and when certain occasions had to do with not calling too many crowds, it meant no invitation for witches and wizards who were evil eyes. Na dem sabi sha.

"Mummy, she has been smiling here like one mumu since morning," Fiyin uttered.

"Who is making our aunty smile?" A familiar voice said in and it was no one other than my cousin, Iyunade.

Aunty Sholly never told us her kids were coming for the engagement, I was sure she kept that as a surprise for Okiki. Iyunade and Omoyeni only came to Nigeria for visiting, their lives began in Netherlands and Germany as they spent most of their time living there. Aunty Sholly's daughters were both mixed, she dated a Dutch man and one thing led to another for them when she immigrated to Berlin back then. Her boyfriend around the time was working as a banker in Berlin, I remembered Iya Yeside saying they met at a mutual friend's birthday party they were both invited.

They did get married, were in love, and decided to have kids, things didn't go well for them in their marriage which led to a divorce, though I wasn't sure what happened between them. Aunty Sholly had only come to us with boxes in her hands along with Iyunade and Yeni that year to stay with us.

"Good freaking hell! Come here, I miss you!" I rushed to embrace her in a warm hug, admiring her from head to toe. Lol, na my pesin be this.

"Aunty Iyun!" Jola pushed me to the side to hug Iyunade.

If I don't beat this geh call me a bastard.

"You people, one hug at a time ejo," Iyunade struggled to breathe as Fiyin held on to her tightly.

"Look at my beautiful baby, what are you doing here?" Iya Yeside beamed with joy and swirled her around in admiration.

"Ekaaro, mummy. I wanted to surprise all of you since I took a leave from work." Iyunade said in Yoruba.

"You this child! It's always work and work with you, do you want to kill yourself?" Iya Yeside replied to her in Yoruba whilst holding Iyunade's cheeks in her hands.

"Big mummy, it's not my fault. You know I'm a detective."

Oh, less I forgot, Iyunade was a detective in Amsterdam. Her work usually kept her away from us as she had to go on numerous undercover spy kini-kan to do. Iyunade was a phenomenal special agent which explained her no-nonsense behavior. She no dey collect rubbish, you try nonsense and Iyunade would give you in ten folds.

"And so? You these children need to come back home, this journey in a white man's land can't last forever o, it is always important you come," Iya Yeside began with her sermons. "Oya goes and joins the women in the kitchen, our in-laws will soon be here," she said to Iyunade.

"Big mummy, relax. I will work on staying back. Where is our bride sef?"

"That one?" Jola sneered. "She's still in her room sleeping but as for us? We are suffering."

Iyunade scoffed at Jola. "Let me go see things for myself, I miss you people a lot ehn."

"How is Yeni? Heard of her lately?" Fiyin asked. Fiyin and Omoyeni were like five and six, they can't go a day without talking to each other. You know the endless video calls and all that but Fiyin will do just fine.

Omoyeni has gone MIA, she didn't spend time visiting Nigeria often as Iyun and Aunty Sholly did. It felt strange because Moyeni was her mother's handbag considering she was the last born. It was probably work, Moyeni was a busy person too. She was a photojournalist whose job tend to carry her to different countries like; Nigeria, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Iran, Syria, and many more. Her job required all that traveling in some dangerous places too with the protection of the military of course.

There was just something strange and predictable about Aunty Sholly's kids—they loved taking too many risks even when their lives were on the line.

"Oshey, oko mi," Iya Yeside grinned at her then turned to me. "As for you, enter the kitchen and be of help."

"Right away, ma," I replied, it wasn't like I could object to her order in the first place. I simply didn't want to make a fuss as now wasn't the time so I jejely joined the women in the kitchen.

It was a fest in here! I met Aunty Sholly cutting carrots while the two other caterers, Iya Yeside hired. "Caterers" abi iya Bisi Alamala  from Okokomaiko. Everywhere was busy as I got into the kitchen, the woman laughing and having conversations.

"Aunty Sholly! Sholly!" I hailed.

"Yeside, go away." I giggled at her blushing at the numerous names I gave her and then engulfed her in a hug from behind whilst she continued cutting the carrots.

"This woman what have you been using? You haven't aged one bit, Aunty Sholly."

"Yeside my cheeks hurt."

"Abi you have someone who's bringing this glow? See you, Aunty Shola, glowing and blinding my face at the same time with it."

"Silly child!"

"Aunty Sholly, did you know Iyunade was coming?"

"Suprise, surprise, I guess."

"And I was left out of it," I said, feigning a frown on my face.

"Mabinu, once we are done, you and I both have a lot to discuss," she informed. I wondered what the discussion might be about. I bobbed my head in response and helped in the kitchen.

***

The engagement ceremony was taking place at our house. Everything was set for every one of us who gathered to celebrate both Jason and Okiki. We were all dressed except for our bride-to-be Okiki had locked herself in her room crying for three hours, thanks to Iyunade who stayed and comforted her.

I knew what things meant whenever Okiki cried; she was either sad, angry, or whenever panicked. Thankfully, Iya Yeside had left us to take care of Okiki and arranged the drinks we needed because our in-laws were coming in an hour.

"Wo, look, why has she been crying since sef? I don't understand." Jola sounded a bit frustrated and kissed her teeth in annoyance. We all sent her a cold glare, groaning at her to shut up as this wasn't the right time to say such a thing.

"What if I'm making a bad decision?" Okiki lamented whilst biting her nails as that was a habit she never stopped whenever she was nervous and panicking.

Okiki refused to get out of her bed and wasn't even in her new clothes yet when we asked earlier what the matter was, Okiki began crying silently and kept speaking about Jason not replying to her text message. She feared Jason wasn't going to come along with his family and that made her anxious.

"Do you love him?" I questioned her, placing my hand on her shoulder lightly.

"I do but... he didn't reply to my text message and it is so unlike him."

"See ehn, then there is nothing to be worried about if he usually texts," I said to her.

"What if it's a car accident?"