His frantic words were exactly like a blinding ray of light cutting through the dense fog of confusion. But unfortunately, they also agitated my rising fury even more.
“Who gave it to you? Tell me!” I insisted, my voice rising until I was almost shouting at him. I was completely, unapologetically losing my polite composure.
Segun took a large step back, clearly confused and terrified of my rage. “I genuinely don’t know her name, Ma’am! She just quickly ordered me to give it directly to the head chef in the kitchen. The paper absolutely didn’t say who sent it.”
Pure, unadulterated rage violently exploded inside me, burning exactly like a massive, uncontrollable fire. “That is exactly the point!” I yelled, stepping closer to him. My voice was trembling wildly with a terrifying mix of blinding anger and raw fear. “You must know my grandson is severely, deathly allergic to shrimp! A single, tiny piece hidden in his food could easily kill him!”
Segun turned completely pale, looking exactly as if he were going to vomit. His wide eyes were utterly filled with pure, dawning horror. He aggressively shook his head frantically back and forth.
“Ma’am, I swear to God I really didn’t know that! I was just blindly following the written note. I had absolutely no idea about any allergies!” His voice broke entirely, sounding exactly as if he too felt completely trapped in this sudden, waking nightmare.
The other waiters standing nearby immediately began to whisper frantically among themselves. They were looking at each other, and then at me, with a mix of morbid curiosity and deep concern. I squeezed the paper so hard in my sweaty hand, fiercely feeling the sharp edges actively burn my skin. I desperately wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to violently break every single glass in the room. But I knew I absolutely couldn’t let my wild emotions get the better of my logic. Namdi was sitting in there waiting for me, and I absolutely had to protect him.
From inside the massive event hall, the hired MC’s booming voice cheerfully announced that everyone should quickly return to their seats and get ready for the grand main course to be served. His booming voice was exactly like a highly cruel, ticking clock reminding me that time was rapidly running out. If I hesitated for even a single second, a highly deadly trap could still be waiting for Namdi in his dinner.
I took a massive, deep breath, desperately trying to forcefully control the violent trembling shaking my entire body. I knew right then and there I absolutely couldn’t stay silent. If I didn’t act decisively right now, in front of everyone, I would never, ever forgive myself if something happened to my boy.
I forcefully marched right back into the packed event hall, aggressively gripping the crumpled paper in my hand. It was my irrefutable, physical proof of a highly sinister, calculated murder plan. The massive event hall was still beautifully flooded with warm candlelight. The joyous music of the live band seamlessly mixed with the loud, drunken laughter of the happy guests.
The waiters were silently, efficiently beginning to serve the large main courses. The rich, heavy aroma of seasoned rice and spicy, rich sauce heavily filled the air. But for me, absolutely everything happening was a disgusting, twisted farce.
I looked directly at Namdi. He was huddled tightly next to Chioma, his clear, innocent eyes completely full of raw, unfiltered fear. He was staring entirely at me, looking exactly as if I were his single, solitary refuge in the absolute middle of a deadly storm.
I quickly walked over and tightly grabbed Namdi’s little hand. I felt his incredibly cold, trembling fingers curl tightly into my warm palm. And then, acting exactly as if I were being aggressively driven by an invisible, powerful force, I stood up abruptly. My loud voice resonated incredibly clearly and firmly, cutting right above the loud music and the hundreds of overlapping conversations.
“One moment please! Before anyone begins to eat, I have something incredibly important to clarify!”
The entire massive event hall instantly fell completely, horrifyingly silent. It felt exactly as if time itself had abruptly stopped moving. Absolutely all eyes in the room instantly snapped directly to table eight. I was standing tall and proud with terrified little Namdi right by my side. Chioma was sitting fiercely upright next to him, with a bright, highly dangerous spark of pure determination blazing in her eyes.
The cheerful clinking of glasses ceased entirely. The loud murmurs died down instantly, and the room was so quiet I could actively hear the frantic pounding of my own heart echoing in my chest. I aggressively held up the crumpled piece of paper high in the air for everyone to clearly see. The tiny words scribbled on it were an absolute, undeniable, physical accusation.
“Who exactly wrote this paper, actively demanding for shrimp to be secretly added directly to the food of the young child sitting at table eight?” I demanded loudly. My voice was violently trembling with pure, unadulterated indignation, but I forcefully made sure it was incredibly clear and razor-sharp.
Shocked whispers immediately began to be heard echoing around the massive room. They sounded exactly like small, crashing waves in an otherwise perfectly calm lake. Many bewildered guests looked at each other, actively shaking their heads with highly confused looks of morbid curiosity and total disbelief. I felt little Namdi’s terrified gaze locked fiercely on my face. He looked exactly as if he were silently begging me to quickly do something to permanently protect him.
Kunle instantly ran over in a panic from the far side of the room. He had a tight, confused smile on his face that very quickly completely turned to sheer, absolute concern the second he truly saw my furious expression.
“Mummy, what exactly is going on here?” he asked, looking completely and utterly bewildered by the sudden scene.