Lara and Seun 13

You can read the previous episodes of Lara and Seun 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

…

Seun stood at the door of his friend’s house, looking dejected and morose.

‘Hello’ his friend’s wife smiled as she opened the door to welcome him.

‘You’d have some cold juice while you wait?’ she asked as Seun sat on a sofa.

‘Don’t worry’ Seun began to respond, but as she saw her face squeeze in rejection, he deferred to asking for hot coffee instead.

 

‘Darling, I think Seun is bothered’ the young woman spoke to her husband as she entered their bedroom.

‘Seun ke? Where did you see him?’ her young husband replied in confusion.

‘Oh! I didn’t put the sentence well’ she regretted. ‘Seun is here, looking troubled and asking for hot coffee in this heat, which is strange’ she rephrased. The husband shrugged, put a shirt on his body, and headed out of the room.

 

‘The Barrister himself!’ he hailed Seun as they briefly hugged.

‘What’s up?’ he asked, sitting on another sofa adjacent to Seun’s.

‘We dey try’ Seun smiled.

‘Here you go’ the man’s wife interrupted, dropping a small serving coffee pot and a mug on a stool beside Seun.

‘Thanks ma’am’ Seun smiled up at her as she left again.

‘All is well?’ the man slowly asked Seun as he sipped out of his mug.

‘Hopefully’ Seun replied as he dropped his mug.

‘Work is intact? They’re not relieving you of your duties any moment from now?’ he gently inquired.

‘Impossible’ Seun dully laughed.

‘Then what’s disturbing you?’ the man asked.

‘Is it that obvious?’ Seun asked.

‘What is it?’ the man repeated.

‘Lara’ Seun sighed, scratching his head, looking at his friend as though the mention of Lara’s name explained everything that was needed to know. Fortunately, his friend understood and laughed gaily.

‘If she’s bumping into your heart like that, then, I think it’s time to step up the relationship’ his friend responded.

‘I don’t know o, she could say “No”’ Seun stammered, scratching his head again.

‘Which is a good answer as well’ his friend replied and started to laugh when he saw traces of panic on Seun’s face in response to his statement.

‘You think say na beans before?’ the man laughed louder.

‘But really, you’ve got to tell her as it is…’ he started to say but Seun interrupted him.

‘How? She doesn’t even give me the opportunity to… she even acts like I’m the cause of all her problems. Is that not a “No” in advance?’ Seun gestured.

‘Bros, you no go know until you talk o. Do your part and leave the rest to God jo’ his friend finalized with a shrug.

 

…

 

‘Mami, nawa o. How can you tell Seun that kind of thing? How can you even be jumping into peoples’ lives like that?’ Lara spoke as she tidied up in her kitchen.

‘Shut up and stop whining. I’m trying to help you’ her mother reprimanded, helping her tidy up.

‘By soiling my reputation?’ Lara barked.

‘I doubt Seun took it that way’ her mother defended, but Lara didn’t stop nagging.

‘This could be why Seun hasn’t taken your relationship further’ her mother screamed at her.

‘What? Lara shuddered.

‘You nag a lot. No man wants that’ her mother explained and left the kitchen.

‘What?’ Lara asked herself in shock as her mother shut the door.

 

‘It’s time to leave’ Bola said, barging into Lara’s kitchen, but stopped halfway when she found Lara cuddled up at a corner, weeping, and ran to her.

‘What is it?’ Bola asked, sitting beside her sister on the floor.

‘Am I a bad person? Lara cried out, confusing Bola.

‘Do I nag a lot?’ she continued, but Bola gave her a handkerchief to dry her tears instead.

‘You stamp your feet on the ground for…’ Bola tried to explain but Lara cut her off.

‘Do I do it too much?’ Lara asked.

‘You’re a wonderful person Lara, that’s all that matters’ Bola replied, hugging her.

‘Seun thinks I nag’ Lara mistakenly slipped.

‘Seun?’ Bola asked in shock.

‘Sorry, mami!’ Lara laughed, realizing her error.

‘It’s fine. It’s allowed to be in love’ Bola teased.

‘You know it’s a mistake’ Lara sighed.

‘It’s a very good mistake. I even like this type of mistake’ Bola continued teasing.

‘You won’t even ask what mami said’ Lara hissed.

‘I only care when Seun will say it’ Bola replied matter-of-factly.

‘What? You think Seun wants to propose?’ Lara shuddered.

‘I think he knows that you love him’ Bola smiled.

‘Of course I love him as an ordinary friend’ Lara denied, shoving her sister aside, but Bola will have none of her flimsy excuse.

‘Ordinary friends don’t whine or cry over each other’ Bola insisted.

‘I wasn’t crying over Seun’ Lara defended.

‘Really? Then tell me that mami didn’t mention Seun’s name in whatever she harassed you with’ Bola continued, and Lara kept quiet.

‘Oh, wow! And again, ordinary friends save each others’ number on their phones so that their sisters can also get to call’ Bola accused, shocking Lara.

‘How do you know I don’t have Seun’s number saved on my phone’ Lara shrieked.

‘How about I tell you after you accept that you’re in love with him?’ Bola smiled.

‘This acceptance, what is it to you?’ Lara asked.

‘It’s to help you send the right message across… to him’ Bola explained, but Lara waved her away.

‘Save your explanation jo. And you can also keep your reason for trying to steal Seun’s number from my phone’ Lara gestured.

‘That’s right, because I could call him right now and explain that my sister has been crying because of him’ Bola replied, showing Lara her phone with Seun’s number on the screen.

‘What?’ Lara screamed in shock, snatching the phone from her.

‘Mami has it too, just in case’ Bola defended.

‘Yes, he gave it to us’ their mother spoke as she entered through the kitchen door, and seeing the shock on their faces, she quickly explained that the door was slightly open, so she was forced to listen to their conversations. Bola started to laugh, but Lara wasn’t even smiling.

‘So you guys will tell him what now?’ Lara shrugged.

‘Nothing. We’re telling him nothing’ their mother replied. ‘But how do you really feel about him in your heart’ she asked, joining them on the floor.

‘I don’t know… before now, I felt nothing for Seun, like he was just an ordinary friend that I could even barely stand’ Lara shrugged, then continued, staring into thin air.

‘I’m confused now though. I feel that Seun may not be into me like you guys think, which means that I need to be strong for myself’ she said and stood up.

‘And I could accept right now that I love him, and risk him being maneuvered by you to do what is not coming from his heart’ she accused.

‘But now you know, you are automatically sworn to secrecy. Nobody tells him anything, even if I say “No”’ Lara slyly grinned, continuing her monologue.

‘No? Are you kidding me?’ Bola shuddered as she stood up to challenge Lara.

‘Come jo, let me drop you off at your bus stop’ Lara laughed, dragging her sister away.

‘I doubt you’ll say “No”’ their mother spoke as they left the door.

 

…

 

‘Seun?’ Mrs Faloye shuddered in shock to find her son standing at the door of her friend’s house where she had been staying for some time.

‘What are you doing here by this time?’ his mother’s friend asked as he walked into the house.

‘Good evening ma’ Seun greeted his mother’s friend and the woman laughed away his greeting, pointing at the clock that showed 12:15am on her living room wall.

‘I was in the neighbourhood and decided to stop over’ he shrugged.

‘Abi you’re missing your mother’ the woman teased and left the room for mother and child.

‘Whats’s bothering you?’ Mrs Faloye whispered.

‘Is it that obvious?’ Seun sighed.

‘To me it is.’ she replied.

‘So, what can I do for you?’ she asked, knowing that her son hadn’t just come because he was in the neighbourhood.

‘Tell me how daddy went about proposing to you’ he stammered.

‘Lara is coming back home o’ Mrs Faloye jumped up and danced in glee, and Seun quietly waited for his mother to be done with her gimmicks and start a long story of her love life with her husband.

…

 

Spiritual Patient

I’ve never been given to plenty church activities. I do not even like to attend sunday services. But this babe of mine was always on my neck to attend her church with her:

‘Chaxi, you’re invited for our singles’ picnic’

‘Chaxi, you’re invited for our ladies week’

‘Chaxi, you’re invited for this, Chaxi, you’re invited for that…’ Kilode?

I finally had to oblige her once, just for peace’s sake.

‘Oya, I’d do your “Early will I seek you” so that I’d rest’ I told her one wednesday morning to her shock. She leaped for joy and promised to buy me lunch.

“Haba!” Am I such a bad person. I go to church oh. In fact, I love the peacefulness of my Anglican communion, and I’m always on time for the 10am service whenever I attend. But I don’t know how to flow with “these pentecostals”- they always like to exhibit this extremely high spirit that I don’t seem to comprehend. And it’s not like I have an ill reputation or any of such that Brit has to be jubilant that I was attending church with her.

Anyway, as a truthful person that I am, I still went with her to church that faithful morning, and my, I was blessed! That day was different. The pastor seemed to be all out for me.

It wasn’t his message that got me. It was him. His charisma. His smiles. His voice. His gestures, the sparks in his eyes, his strong arms… “What?!” I was tripping for Brit’s man of God.

By the end of that week, I was already joining Brit to carefully select and arrange church outfits against the sunday’s service.

‘What’s up? You now baff up to church’ Brit asked in shock, because I am usually casual whenever attending any church activity on earth. But I wasn’t going to break the news to her yet; I was going to wait till the morning of sunday to announce that I had decided to always follow her to church. So, I continued with bringing out that spectacular fitted gown and complementing stiletto that would quickly spot me out.

Having known the route to church, I left Brit at home while she was celebrating that sunday morning concerning my decided announcement. Plus, I had to be early so as catch up with the pastor’s first steps.

‘Wait there jo!’ I had Brit scream as I flagged down a cab, and I had to turn to see a crazy lady running after me- Brit had forgotten to dress up in her jubilation. So, she had to join me wearing different legs of bathroom slippers, flying hair, carrying her shoe in her hand, with purse hung around her neck.

‘God punish you… ‘ she swore as she drew near, panting.

‘What?’ I smirked.

‘You don’t know that I have to register you as my guest?’ She responded, hitting me with her shoe.

I dodged and entered the car of the driver that had patiently waited for my crazy room mate to arrive the scene.

…

I did not let a lot of weeks to pass before presenting myself to the pastor. After I learned that he was only one of the assistant pastors, I was happier that at least, a lot of people would not be flocking his tent.

“Good afternoon sir” I said that day as I stood in front of his office, glad that he didn’t have a secretary. And when he asked me why I came, I blurted out that I had come for counseling, not knowing what else to say. And from then, I had to lie about many other things just to meet him.

‘What?!’ Brit scolded when I told her. ‘That’s flirty… Plus he’s faithfully married’. I went angry when she suggested that I was flirting with God’s servant. I merely wanted to have a personal relationship with this man that had the ability to send a kind of high excitement down my spine. So, I decided never to let Brit onto any other information concerning pastor and I.

…

Anger soon started flooding my heart, because to pastor, I was just a “spiritual patient”, and anytime his pretty wife walked in through his door and he passionately embraced her, I felt an emptiness inside of me and a sudden eagerness to strangle her.

‘I am in love with pastor’ I blurted out one day as I and Brit were randomly discussing about men.

‘And I wish to be his’ I added while she was still in shock with the first utterance.

She didn’t even respond back in words, she just broke into tears and I was enraged. I expected her to slap or scold me for being foolish so that I could have the opportunity to fight back; so that I could blame her for leading me to her church, for being the cause of this whole drama. But these tears from her made me feel shameful, and unclean, and worthless. I couldn’t take it anymore.

‘Do something!’ I yelled, flinging my phone at her, merely missing to hit her.

‘Nothing’ she sniffed and looked up.

‘I can’t help you’ she shrugged.

‘Only God can’ she added and slowly approached me from the corner where she had bent down to weep.

‘But, will you let him?’ She asked, squeezing my hand and looking into my eyes.

I didn’t even know when tears began to flow from my eyes, but when she hugged me, I felt myself drenching her dress with my tears, and the anger suddenly start to diffuse from my heart.

…

(Lara and Seun 13 is going to be out please bear with me again for delaying*)

Lara and Seun 12

Bola kept breaking into her mother’s conversation with Seun, with chips of Seun’s good deeds:

‘He brought these’
‘He slept over’
‘He helped us pay’

And after a while of bearing a constantly punctuated discussion by her daughter, Mrs Balogun exited the room with Seun.

‘Nawa for you sha’ Lara charged at her sister immediately their mother shut the door.

‘What?’ Bola shrieked.

‘Now we won’t know what they’re saying’ Lara murmured.

‘Will it pass your wedding plans?’ Bola mocked.

‘Wedding Plans ke?’ Lara fumed.

‘You and Seun ni’ Bola continued, and received a long hiss from her sister as a response.

…

‘Why the sad face, mami?’ Lara asked as her mother grimly walked in through the door to the bed where she lay, but Mrs Balogun quickly slipped on a dull smile as a cover for her troubled spirit.

‘Mami?’ Lara sat up with questioning eyes, and Mrs Balogun rubbed her daughter’s feet as she sat beside her on the bed.

‘Lara, I don’t like this best friend idea’ she said after some moments of silence.

‘Best friend idea?’ Lara replied in confusion.

‘It’s either Seun wants to marry you or not o, don’t waste your time being just a best friend’ Mrs Balogun warned.

‘Oh! Where did he even go?’ Lara smiled.

‘It is funny, abi?’ Mrs Balogun frowned and started a lecture on how grown women should not waste their time in waiting for men that do not want them as wives.

‘What of Seun?’ Bola suddenly screamed from where she was seated at the sofa, plucking away the ear piece that she was listening to music with.

‘And why the solemn conversation?’ She continued, moving towards them.

‘You know that your sister isn’t well, right?’ Mrs Balogun asked and Bola started to apologise for raising her voice.

‘Oh, not that type! I just hope you are also not sick?’ She continued, waving Bola’s apologies away.

‘Sick?’ The ladies shuddered.

‘Yes! The type that makes you to have mere best-friend relationships with men you should be getting married to’ she blurted out.

‘Anyway, I have given Seun a piece of my mind.’ She finished and stood up.

‘What did you do?’ Both ladies attacked.

‘He rushed to attend a meeting by the way. And I’m going to see your doctor right away’ she added, ignoring their irritation.

‘You don’t jump into people’s business without their permission, mami!’ Lara vented, stopping her at the door.

‘Because you took permission before jumping into my stomach to be born, right?’ she responded and left the room before another word could be uttered.

The ladies exchanged worried glances and Lara immediately took up her phone to dial Seun.

‘Relax’ Bola offered in comfort as Lara began to panic that her calls were being ignored, but she slipped out her hands from her sister’s grip and started to type a text. In her hurry, she mistakenly sent the text to a wrong number.

‘Hello, who’s this?’ The recipient called back after he got the text.

‘Abeg, what did my mother tell you?’ Lara nervously responded, oblivious that it was a strange voice at the other end.

‘Your mother? Who are you please?’ the caller continued and Lara angrily cut the call.

Then Seun called her.

‘What do you mean by “who am I”?’ Lara harshly asked before he could say a word.

‘Hello? Lara? I can’t hear you’ Seun faintly responded.

‘What do you mean…’ she started to say but the line got disconnected.

And the stranger called back.

‘Why did you rudely hang up?’ He asked.

‘Rudely hang up? No be you cut the call?’ Lara harshly responded.

‘Hey lady, relax okay, and call me back when you’re calm’ he finished and hung up.

‘Lara, don’t be hard on yourself’ Bola cut in as Lara stared in shock into her phone, but Lara waved her away and began to compose another text.

‘Stop this and breathe jo!’ Bola snapped, snatched the phone from her hands and switched it off.

…

‘Good morning ma’ Seun greeted as he entered the room clad in his work attire.

‘Wow! Is this your new office?’ Mrs Balogun teased.

‘Hello Seun’ Bola greeted.

‘I didn’t want to miss you’ he gestured at them with a smile, but Mrs Faloye waved his excuse away.

‘Hi’ Lara coldly threw across to him but quickly supported it with a fake smile when her mother rebuked her coldness with a glare.

‘We’re set to leave, I’ve been discharged’ Lara added, pointing at their packed items.

‘Its good I came early then’ Seun stammered, and Mrs Balogun left the room with Bola, giving them some time to talk.

‘Who am I? Seun?’ Lara blurted out as soon as the door shut.

‘Who are you? How?’ Seun winced.

‘Like, there are better ways to be saucy, not “who are you?”‘ She spat angrily.

‘I don’t still get you o’ he replied.

‘Really? She sarcastically replied.

‘Madam, I don’t understand abeg… How are you feeling now by the way?’ He responded and sat down.

‘Your response to this!’ She accused, showing him the text that she had mistakenly sent to a stranger.

‘Lara, what now?’ He sighed, taking the phone from her.

‘Do I have to remember what your mother said?’ He asked, perplexed at the message she had shown him.

‘That’s all your defence?’ She shrieked.

‘What defence? That isn’t my number by the way’ he gasped, returning the phone back to her.

Seun watched Lara’s facial expression quickly change from anger to shock, then to shame in a short while and almost pitied her.

‘Don’t run mad one day o’ he began to tease her, but she interrupted him, apologising with tears, alarming him.

‘Relax, that’s not an issue’ he pacified.

‘Really?’ She smiled, and he pulled her to himself.

‘Sit down and don’t worry’ he whispered to her.

‘Maybe God just wants to punish me for not saving your number’ she whispered back, reclining on his arm.

‘Yes, he should do that often’ he said, and she punched him.

‘And you should send another text to that number, apologising for wrongly sending a text’ he added, nursing his ribs.

‘And for even harassing him!’ She added, and he frowned.

‘Why am I not surprised?’ he sighed.

‘I thought it was you ni’ she laughed and punched him again.

‘Ouch!’ He yelled and shifted away from her, away from her punches.

‘Na joke na’ she defended, shifting towards him.

‘And what did my mother tell you?’ She added, smiling and hitting his arm.

‘What? Man beater!’ Seun gasped and got up completely from the sofa.

‘Ah! Seun?’ Lara frowned.

‘Yes ni’ He laughed.

But Lara got offended and kept quiet until Seun begged her.

‘Talk jo’ she prodded.

‘Oh, dear Lara! She just joked that she must be part of our friendship or scatter it if we refuse her… Can I breathe now?’ he blurted out. And she knew that he needed to know that her mother had meant every word that she said.

…

Lara and Seun 11

Lara woke up in the middle of the night and was startled to find Seun snoring lightly at an end of the long sofa in her hospital room, still clad in his work clothes. She tried to get to the sofa but an ache in her head drew her back. She tried harder, dragging herself down the bed, towards the sofa. And like fire works, the ache sparked, causing her to fall on top of her sister at the other end of the sofa, waking her up.

‘Lara?’ her sister jerked

‘what happened?’ she prodded in shock, rubbing her hands all over Lara.

‘I’m fine…’ Lara murmured, nursing her forehead.

‘Are you sure? Or should I come and lie with you on the bed? Or escort you to the toilet?’ Her sister continued to press.

‘Just stop it, okay?’ Lara hushed, raising an arm. ‘I said I’m fine’ she continued, and then she quietly asked why Seun was sleeping in the hospital.

‘He insisted… So I let him’ her sister shrugged in reply.

‘Wait, is that why you woke me up?’ her sister smirked, but Lara wasn’t minding her reprimand.

‘Insisted? Left him? The guy has an early morning work…’ Lara rather started to blast, nursing her forehead at intervals.

Her sister gently put her down and rushed to get a wet towel to place on her head.

‘Don’t place that thing on me… You don’t know who used it last’ Lara hushed, turning her head away from her sister’s grip.

‘Should I call the nurse instead?’ her sister replied, and Lara rejected the suggestion, surrendering her head for self medication.

‘Ouch! It’s cold’ Lara blurted out.

‘Shhh… You’ll be fine if you’re quiet’ her sister responded, then supported her back to the bed.

…

‘She’s been sleeping uninterrupted since yesterday?’ The doctor asked Lara’s sister the next morning while on ward round.

‘Well, she woke up in the middle of the night to disturb, and that’s that’ her sister shrugged to the amusement of the doctor.
Then she told the doctor about the headache and what she did to salvage the pain. After scolding her for not calling a nurse, the doctor continued her check up.

‘Call me when she awakes’ she concluded and left the room.

‘ You’ve been awake all this time?!’ Her sister exhaled in shock as Lara’s eyes opened soon after the doctor left.

‘What?’ Lara asked, ‘and when did Seun leave?’ She continued.

‘Seun? That’s more important to you?’ Lara’s sister accused, and Lara winced in shame.

‘It’s not like that…’ Lara started to defend, but her sister waved her away.

‘Let me get the doctor’ her sister said. ‘She was here while you were asleep’ she added, dragging the “sleep” part and looking suspiciously into Lara’s eyes.

‘What? Why are you looking at me like that?’ Lara asked.

‘Were you asleep or pretending to be asleep?’ her sister queried.

‘Pretending to be asleep? Lara responded in disgust.

‘Yes…’ Her sister shrugged.

‘Goodness gracious! Who sent you here?’ Lara sighed.

‘Mama, and I’ll be off as soon as she arrives today’ her sister said.

‘Mama’s coming? Why?’ Lara sighed.

‘Yes… and Seun left early enough, I doubt he’ll be late to work’ her sister added and left the room.

And Lara’s phone rang.

‘Hey, Seun… I’m fine… Thanks for sleeping over… Yes… I’ll be out today hopefully… Oh, please! I’m a grown woman… Hahahahaha… Thanks,bye’

And as she dropped the phone, her sister returned with the doctor.

‘Let’s see how the head fares this night…’ the doctor said after checking Lara up again.

‘I can’t leave today?’ She asked, pained.

‘No, a night or two more’ the doctor replied, and Lara grudgingly lay down and forced herself to sleep, thinking of everyone that has been inconvenienced because of her accident.

…

‘Hey babe… lunch and drugs’ Lara’s sister tapped her up, presenting a tray with a plate of Yam Porridge, medicine and water in it.

‘Oh, thanks’ Lara replied, slowly rising up to eat. As she put the first spoon into her mouth, the door opened and Seun walked in with grocery bags.

‘Seun!’ the sister screamed at once, stopping him in his track.

‘No… Continue’ Lara’s sister laughed, waving his confusion aside, and helping him carry the goods that he brought with him, as Lara just stared at him with concern.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t be sacked’ He whispered to Lara, rubbing her shoulders, and sitting by her side as she quietly continued her meal.

‘I shall eat this chicken alone!’ Lara’s sister suddenly threw over her shoulders in a song from where she backed them to arrange the provisions Seun brought into a cupboard.

‘She’s good company’ Seun whispered to Lara, and they shared a soft laugh.

‘I just feel like selling her sometimes’ Lara smiled.

‘Thanks a lot Seun’ she continued. ‘Though you shouldn’t have bothered’ she added, pointing to the provisions he brought.

‘She’s Bolu right?’ Seun asked, avoiding her last statement.

‘Bola… And you really shouldn’t stress your self out’ she repeated, hoping to address the issue, but Bola distracted them.

‘Thanks Seun, you’ve got some lovely taste’

And she walked to them, dropped a grilled chicken wing into Lara’s plate, then carried the remaining grilled meat in a disposable plate with her to the sofa, munching on them noisily to annoy Lara.

…

‘Hello sirs, good evening,’ Bola greeted as she opened the door to the 2 men that had brought Lara to the hospital. She ushered them to the sofa, and served them some crackers from what Seun had bought.

Lara greeted them gaily, and after a while of light conversation, she gave them an envelope with their complete money. After counting and confirming the amount in the envelope, they left with Bola escorting them out.

‘I had that covered, you should have let me’ Seun whispered to Lara as she climbed back on her bed.

‘You’ve done enough already’ she remarked.

‘Maybe we should all abandon you’ Seun replied.

‘It’s not like that…’ she winced.

‘Then drop the attitude’ he concluded.

Bola arrived almost immediately she left, took her purse and rushed out again before Lara and Seun could ask what the matter was.

She was back again in a few minutes, carrying a travel bag. And before Lara could ask a question, the door opened to an elegant elderly woman.

‘Mami!’ Lara screamed and jumped out of the bed to the woman at the door, causing Seun to spring up in anxiety.

‘You didn’t have to’ Lara muttered to her mother amidst tender hugs.

‘I have to see my baby…’ the woman began to respond,but paused at the sight of Seun.

‘Mami, this is Barrister Oluwaseun Faloye…’ Lara casually introduced, and Seun fell in prostration to greet the woman.

‘Welcome dear’ Lara’s mom muttered, lifting Seun up.

‘Thanks for bringing my daughter to the hospital’ the woman continued, rousing laughter amongst the sisters.

‘Mami! This is the Seun!’ Bola threw in and their mother gasped in awe.

‘Oh! You should have simply said that’ the woman smiled and dragged a confused Seun to the Sofa.

‘So, tell me about you’ she continued as they sat down.

…