From A Producer To A Global Superstar-Chapter 356: A visit to Nigeria

It had been two weeks since Dayo came back, a few days since the house stopped feeling like a transit lounge and started feeling like home again.

The family was still on that happy high. Not the loud one. The settled one. The kind that lives in small things like breakfast lasting too long because nobody wants to leave the table. The kind that shows up in random laughter from the hallway because someone remembered a joke from years ago.

That evening, Dayo found his mother in the living room, flipping through messages on her phone with that focused look she always had when family matters were involved.

Dayo sat by her side and asked her.

"Mom, when exactly are we going to Nigeria?"

The reason Dayo was asking was because he wanted to know how he would arrange himself as he was a CEO of a huge brand after all and the after math of the album and movie was still on so he needed to know how long it might take.

Abisola looked up like she had been waiting for him to ask and spoke in a clean yoruba.

"Kò ní pé. Ó lè jẹ́ ọ̀sẹ̀ tó ń bọ̀."

(It won’t take long. It could be next week.)

Dayo’s eyebrows lifted a bit shocked that she spoke yoruba but smiled and replied back without much effort.

"Ó yara bẹ́ẹ̀?"

(That fast?)

Abisola nodded, serious but calm.

"Ìgbéyàwó náà ti sun mọ́lé. Arábìnrin mi ń bẹ̀ mí. Ó fẹ́ kí a wà níbẹ̀."

(The wedding is close. My sister has been asking me. She wants us there.)

Dayo exhaled slowly, like his mind was already rearranging schedules.

"Ó dáa. A máa ṣètò rẹ̀. Kò sí wahalà."

(Alright. We’ll arrange it. No problem.)

Abisola smiled faintly.

"Mo fẹ́ kí gbogbo wa lọ. Kì í ṣe pé èmi àti bàbá yín nìkan."

(I want all of us to go. Not just me and your father.)

Dayo nodded once.

"Ẹ̀yin ní ẹ̀tọ́. A ò ti lọ pẹ́. A máa lọ."

(You’re right. It’s been a long time. We’ll go as a family.)

And that was when the front door opened.

Janet walked in mid sentence like she was already talking before she fully entered the room.

"Guys you know I told you today’s live will be short but I always lie because you people are my problem."

She was smiling at her phone, front camera on, shoulders relaxed, fully in livestream mode. Then she heard Yoruba.

She paused like someone hit a mute button on her brain.

"What."

Her eyes flicked from the phone to Dayo.

Then to Abisola.

Then back to Dayo again.

Her mouth opened slowly.

"No no no."

She spun the phone and switched to the back camera so fast it looked automatic.

"Wait wait wait. Guys. Guys. You’re not going to believe this."

The camera landed on Dayo and their mother.

"My brother is speaking Yoruba."

The comments were probably exploding already because Janet’s face lit up with that greedy excitement she always had when she knew she just caught something viral.

Dayo stared at the phone for a second.

Then his eyes lifted to Janet.

He spoke slowly, purposely, in Yoruba.

"Janet, ṣe o wà lórí live ni."

(Janet, are you on live.)

Janet’s voice dropped to a small whisper without her even thinking.

"Mmm hmm."

Dayo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ó dáa. Bá àwọn eèyàn rẹ sọ̀rọ̀ dáadáa."

(Okay. Talk to your people properly.)

Janet covered her mouth with one hand like she was trying not to laugh.

Then she turned the camera back to herself for a second.

"You people heard him. He said I should talk to my people properly. He’s advising me in Yoruba. In my own house."

She flipped the camera back again.

"Màmá, tell them. Tell them you raised him."

Abisola did not even try to hide her pride.

"Ṣé ẹ̀yin ò rí i. Ẹ jẹ́ kí n sọ fún yín. A kọ́ ọmọ yìí dáadáa."

(Didn’t you see it. Let me tell you. We raised this child well.)

Janet squealed.

Dayo shook his head like he was embarrassed but not really mad.

He leaned closer to the camera and kept it calm.

"Ẹ káàsán o. Ẹ má bínú. Ẹ jẹ́ kí a ní ìbáṣepọ̀ yín ní ìdákẹ́jẹ."

(Good afternoon. Please don’t get too excited. Let’s keep your support calm.)

Janet almost choked.

"You guys. He just told you not to get too excited. In Yoruba."

Dayo finally switched to English, just for her.

"Are you done."

Janet’s eyes widened like a child caught stealing.

"I’m working. This is my job."

Dayo pointed at the phone.

"Then do your job. Stop exposing our mother like she’s a celebrity."

Janet laughed, then angled the camera slightly so it showed all three of them.

"Okay okay. Fine. I’ll be professional."

She looked at their mother again.

"Màmá, say hi to them."

Abisola waved lightly, still smiling.

"Ẹ kú ìrọ̀lẹ́ o."

(Good evening.)

Janet nodded eagerly.

"See. This is why my fans love me. I have content."

Dayo sighed like he was losing but also enjoying it.

"Where is Jeffrey."

Janet answered quickly, still half into her livestream tone.

"He’s at training. He hasn’t come home today."

Dayo’s face softened a little.

"Okay."

The energy shifted, small but noticeable.

Janet’s livestream kept going for a few more seconds, but Dayo had already stood up.

"Let’s go to the kitchen. I’m hungry."

Janet followed, still filming, still talking, but now she lowered the phone a bit out of respect, like she finally remembered that their home was still their home.

And a little later, after the kitchen noise and the quick bites and the small family talk, Dayo grabbed his keys.

He did not walk out.

He drove.

He drove to the National Team training facility, the pool where the serious work lived, where the air always smelled like chlorine and discipline.

Jeffrey was there.

In the water.

Every lap clean. Every turn sharp. Shoulders cutting through the pool like he was angry at time.

Dayo waited until he climbed out.

Jeffrey wiped his face, saw him, and smiled in that tired way athletes smiled when their body wanted sleep but their heart wanted to show love.

"You finally remembered me."

Dayo pulled him into a quick hug, firm.

"I’ve been back. You’re the one that hasn’t come home."

Jeffrey chuckled.

"Coach is trying to kill me." he said with a smile on his face that says everything he was enjoying swimming

And that was when Coach James walked up, towel on his shoulder, clipboard in hand.

He looked at Dayo like they were already familiar, like this was not a superstar walking into his space, just someone he respected.

"Dayo."

Dayo nodded.

"Coach."

James looked between them. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"You’re early."

Dayo glanced at Jeffrey again.

"I came to see him. He’s been training like he’s chasing something."

Coach James smiled.

"That’s because he is."

Jeffrey rolled his eyes.

"Coach please."

James ignored him.

"He’s doing very well. Very very well."

Dayo’s expression shifted into quiet pride.

"I’m glad."

James continued, honest, not flattering.

"He’s disciplined. He listens. He doesn’t complain. He gets tired and still asks for one more lap. That kind of mindset is rare."

Jeffrey muttered under his breath.

"Because you don’t let me rest."

Coach James laughed once.

Dayo looked at Jeffrey.

"You’re eating."

Jeffrey nodded.

"I am."

Dayo nodded too, satisfied.

Then he said it casually, like it was just another family update.

"We might be traveling soon."

Jeffrey’s head lifted.

"To where."

"Nigeria."

The word landed like a spark.

Jeffrey’s face changed immediately, surprise turning into something else.

Hope.

He tried to act calm but he could not.

"For real."

They had been wanting to go to Nigeria for a long time but never really had the chance after all they claimed to be half Nigeria and half American but had not gone there so he was hype.

Dayo nodded.

"Our cousin is getting married. Mom wants everybody to go."

Jeffrey looked toward Coach James like he needed permission from the air.

Coach James watched him closely.

"You want to go."

Jeffrey laughed like it was obvious.

"I’ve wanted to go. I’ve been saying it. I’ve been saying it."

Coach James held up a hand.

"Then we plan it properly. We adjust. So you don’t lose progress after all the competition you have been training for is near."

Jeffrey nodded quickly.

"I won’t."

Dayo looked at Coach James.

"Thank you for pushing him."

Coach James’ expression softened slightly.

"It’s in him already. I’m just forcing it to show."

Dayo smiled faintly.

"Seems like it runs in the family."

Coach James shook his head with a small grin.

"I can see it."

Jeffrey groaned.

"Please don’t start."

But Dayo’s eyes stayed on his brother a second longer.

Not as a global superstar.

As an older brother.

Proud.

Quietly protective.

And as Dayo turned to leave, his phone buzzed again in his pocket.

He didn’t check it.

Not yet.

For the first time in a long time, the noise could wait.