The next day, Tamilore felt greatly irritated. She was sick of all the happenings and desperately needed someone to transfer all her aggression to, and the unfortunate person was her sister-in-law, aunty Ariyo.

Early in the morning, she rose up from her bed. It wasn't like she could sleep anyway, it was wasn't even seven o'clock yet and she had been awake for close to ninety minutes. She wanted to go to the living room, but as she passed by the doors, she saw her sister-in-law's and stopped.

She didn't even know what gave her the bravery or what pushed her. She opened the door sharply, finding herself being surprised by how loud it was. By the time she entered the room and faced aunty Ariyo, she was at a loss for words.

Aunty Ariyo had been sleeping, her body facing the other side. She turned, her face masked with such contempt, that Tamilore almost cowered.

"What is it?" She growled.

"I...I just came to check on you," Tamilore said, stuttering a little. She hated that she felt slightly intimidated.

"Check on me for what?" Aunty Ariyo hissed.

"Just to..."

"Woh, fimile." She hissed again, then grumbled, "Came to check on me. They locked me in this house for weeks, my shop has not been open for weeks, I've been in this stuffy house yet I can't find peace."

Tamilore didn't say anything, she just gave a straight face, although inside her she was getting angry.

Aunty Ariyo continued to grumble, "What's my own? Ehn? What will I use my brother's son to do? Instead of them to go and investigate their family that they brought here." Then she let out a long hiss.

Tamilore couldn't take it anymore. "Mama?"

Aunty Ariyo was clearly surprised that her brother's wife called her that. The tone she used made aunty Ariyo know that she was being disrespectful.

I have te, was all that was going on in her mind.

She stayed silent.

"What did you just say Mama?"

Tamilore's tone was so rude, that aunty Ariyo forgot her intention to keep her calm and not disrespect herself. "Who is Mama? Do I look like an old woman to you? Come on, get out of my room you rude woman."

"Hehehe." Tamilore clapped her hands. "I've always known."

"Known what?"

"That you're a witch. That's why you've been so relaxed at everything that is going on in this house!"

"Me, witch?" Aunty Ariyo's mouth fell open. "Your mother is an witch!" She stood up.

"My mother?! You have te today. You have te." She was raising her voice now. "You can insult me, but never in your life make mention of my mother! You old hag!"

Aunty Ariyo knew that she had gotten under Tamilore's skin and she loved it. She wore a smug smile, "Or what? You're going to kidnap me like you kidnapped your own child?"

Tamilore started trembling. Tears were falling out of her eyes. "No...no...you did not go there...you did not..."

Aunty Ariyo let out a hiss. "Shior. When you're ready, you'll leave my son's room. And his house." She stood up and went into the bathroom, locked the door.

Tamilore rushed to it. "You old hag! Wicked witch! Black witch! Release my son! Release him!" She was interrupted by someone barging into the room.

It was Modupe. She advanced towards her, pulling her away from the bathroom door.

"What happened?" She kept asking her sister as she took her to the living room gently.

Tamilore was still shouting at aunty Ariyo. "Witch o! Wit---"

She could not complete the word because Modupe covered her mouth with her hand. "Don't talk to your iya oko like that now! Come on. Get yourself together."

They had gotten to the living room now. Tamilore landed on a couch with a thud.

"You're making me the one at fault abi? Iya oko, abi? Maybe it's because you don't know what she said about you. I was fighting for all of us, back there!"

Modupe heaved a sigh, "I really don't care about what she said about me. She's still our elder, ehn."

"All of you!" Tamilore reiterated, now noticing that Itunu and Dami were here.

Just then, Dipo emerged from within the hallway.

"What happened here? You were insulting my sister? Ehn, Tamilore?"

Fear flashed in Tamilore's eyes. She stayed silent.

Itunu just looked elsewhere awkwardly, and Dami didn't understand what was going on.

"Eh uncle Dipo," Modupe broke the uncomfortable silence. "Please don't be angry at her, put yourself in her shoes. Her---"

"Am I not in the shoes too?" He asked angrily. "Is it only her that something happened to? Silly woman!"

"Dipo, please. Don't annoy me this morning. Don't do it. What? What?" She was moving her shoulder threateningly.

Dipo hissed. Modupe gestured at him to calm down and walk away, and he did exactly that.

When he left, Tamilore hissed again. She folded her arms, and then looked at the people in the living room.

When she saw Itunu, she remembered something. She stood up and went into her room, positive that her husband wouldn't be there after the fight that they just had. Sure enough, he wasn't there. She picked the object from the top of her drawer and went back to the living room.

She dropped the keys on Itunu's lap. "Here are your keys. Make sure you don't misplace them, or lock yourself in oh."

A startled Itunu nodded. "Yes Ma."

"Go and apologise to your husband and his sister, Tamilore," Modupe advised.

"Apologise for what?"

By now, Itunu stood up, taking Dami into the room. She felt greatly uncomfortable.

Modupe hmmphed. "All this one you're doing doesn't pay you. It doesn't make sense for you guys to be fighting in the midst of this...tribulation."

Tamilore had to see reason with her sister. She felt bad for how she behaved. Why did she even act like that? It wasn't like her, at all.

"Erm...okay. I'll...I'll apologise to him."

"Do it now."

Tamilore rolled her eyes but she didn't oppose.

She walked slowly into her husband's room, not even bothering to knock. He was sitting on his bed, reading something from his phone. He didn't even look up at her, but he didn't send her away. Tamilore knew he has softened.

"Dipo," she started in a small voice. "I...I'm sorry for how I acted."

Silence.

She bent, crouching to his level. "I'm sorry. Please." And then she placed one hand on his thigh.

He finally looked up. She couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"It's okay," he grumbled.

"What was that?" She grinned.

"I said it's okay."

"Thank you." She wrapped her hand around his neck affectionately.

* * *

Later in the morning, the whole family, including the helps were in the living room. The story of what happened earlier had somehow (it was all Modupe) gone round, and everybody that wasn't even present knew. Dipo and Tamilore were good, too.

"Titi. Go and call me Baba Grace," Dipo ordered.

She nodded, walking out of the house through the main entrance.

She soon returned, few moments later, with Baba Grace. He came into the house, his head bowed.

"Baba Grace," Dipo started.

"Sir. Good morning, Sir."

"Morning. I hope you're well. I was wondering, how's your wife now?" Dipo asked. He felt guilty about yesterday.

"She...she's fine Sir. She gave birth to a boy."

"A boy I've not seen yet," he added.

Dipo smiled anyway. "That's good. We thank God. At least she gave birth, and mother and baby are well. That's enough to thank God for." He paused.

"And as for going to see them...very soon, Baba Grace. Very soon."