chapter 5: bad news

"Nene, you'll be late for school!" Onome yells, glancing at his wristwatch.

7:43. Shit.

"And I have to get to the gymn to train those newbies," he groans.

"I'm cominggggg dad!" Nene hurries down from the flight of stairs, one slip away from falling on her head. "I couldn't find my bow," she tries explaining.

"But you don't need a bow to be pretty," he says with a raised eyebrow.

"But... it's the last gift she gave me before she went to heaven," Nene counters, pouting and crossing her arms stubbornly.

Onome privately wonders if she says 'went to heaven' instead of 'died' as a way to cheer herself up. Perhaps he would try it.

"I promise I'll help you find it after school, okay?" He asks, already pushing her towards the front door. "But first you'll have to get to school, young lady."

"Race you to the car!" Nene laughs as she tears ahead of him to the black Lexus.

'She's fast for an eight year old,' he concludes, carrying her lunchbox and backpack. 'I wonder if she'll take an interest in track and field.'

"I win! I win! I win!" she cries, dancing around.

"You don't have to race me all the time. I'm getting old." He gives a half hearted excuse.

"You're thirty four," Nene deadpans.

"That's twenty six years older than you," he flicks her nose. "Now get in."

"Okayyy, let's gooooo," she says, faking glumness.

"Seatbelt, sugar," he reminds his daughter.

"Aye aye, captain!"

Soon they've pulled out of their estate and onto the highway.

"Daddy, the field trip to the sea port is today," Nene pipes up when her school is in sight.

"Is that so? Must have slipped my mind," Onome said pretentiously.

"Cut it out, dad. You're an awful liar," she says with a stern but cute face.

'Our baby is growing up so fast.'

"Okay, sugar. Remember to pay attention and ask questions if you don't understand what you're taught," he tells her.

"I will," she beams.

It's 8 o'clock on the dot as he pulls into the school parking lot.

"That's my princess. Now gimme 5," he says, extending his palm for a high five from his daughter. She happily obliges.

"Hurry and get your things na, you're already late," he says as she jumps down. "And remember, daddy loves you."

"I love you too, Dad" she stops to wave him goodbye before scurrying off again.

Onome smiles to himself, realizing he was doing a pretty good job raising their daughter so far.

"Promise to always protect her" Ihouma's voice echoes in his head again.

'I promise, honey. I promise.'

"And now, the gymn," he says, aloud as he drives out of the school premises.

The drive ends up taking longer than expected because - for some unknown reason - most roads had been shut down. Therefore, he had to take the long way to the gymn. By the time he got there, it was already 11:15am and Chijoke was in the driveway giving him a stern look.

"Omo guy na wa for you oh, I've been waiting for you here since 7am," his best friend scowls.

"No vex, the traffic was hectic as fuck because of the road block." Onome tries explaining.

"Abeg, your new students are waiting for you," Chijoke cut in.

"So you mean you've not started with them," he tries controlling his laughter. "Guy you lazy oh."

" I been dey wait for you na," Chijoke seems to huff.

"Na so," Onome guffaws. "Let's go in biko."

Before he can even take two steps, Onome's phone rings. Staring at the caller ID, he wonders why the headmaster of Nene's school would possibly be calling him.

He puts the call on speaker, a habit he has never been able to break.

"Hello, Mr Hassan, is there any problem?" Onome queries immediately.

"Good morning, Mr amadi. I'm afraid there is one. The school bus along with all the students onboard are missing," the old man responds.

...what.

Chijoke curses under his breath.

"I'm on my way to your school right now and if anything happens to Nene I'll bury you, your generation and your bloody school!" He ends the call in a fit of rage.

"Dear lord, let Nene be safe," he says to himself as he and Chijoke speed out the parking lot en route to his daughter's school.