Chapter Six

   It had been days now with the same routine and lifestyle over again. I wake up, cook, read for my exam, read a novel, sleep and repeat. I was already getting frustrated and it was kinda getting to me. But I was also kinda glad Ayo was at home. She actually never talks much, helps me with the chores and just keeps mute all day and that made me curious about her.

   "Madam, is that Biology" I immediately looked in the direction of the voice because I was home alone with Ayo and she barely says anything all day and I was shocked to see that it was Ayo. She was standing next to the couch I was sitting on.

    I had been reading in the living room when she asked. It was one of my anatomy textbooks I was briefly going through.

    "No, it's Anatomy but it's related to biology too I guess and how do you know this. I always knew you were smart" I said smiling at her.

   "Why don't you sit down" I offered

"Thank you ma" she said sitting next to me.

     "I just finished my secondary school this year,  I wrote my west African secondary school certificate examination already(wassce)"

    "Ohh, wow. I didn't know. That's amazing"

"So, what about your joint admission matriculation board exam which you need to get into the university. I am sure you know that right"

    "There is no money for that, so mother says I should probably wait till when we are able to gt money or I should just learn a trade or start selling stuffs" she explained

      and I really could relate to everything she was saying because I had gone through that kind of thing especially when dad had just left. Mother had nobody to turn to, no family member would help. We had just her and no one else. She worked so hard and that's why I will forever be grateful to her. I remember the nights we had to manage food to eat or just go hungry and sleep. The days she locked her self in the room crying and not wanting I and my sister to hear but we somehow found a way to listen from the door.

    The days she woke up with eye bags but still had to continue the days job. The days we begged for food or was it the days she had to sell all her belongings to send us to school. She always puts everyone else first and I really don't know anyone stronger than she is and I just really hope I am at least half the woman she was.

   "You will go to school, I promise you. Do you know the dates the exam forms will be out" I asked

   "Yes, I do"

"When they are out, let me know. I will give you the money for it"

    "Thank you so much ma" she said happily and for the first time she smiled. It was so nice to see someone smile because of you.

   "You deserve it, everyone does" I said and as I was about to say something else. My phone started ringing and it was from mother.

    "Excuse me" I said as I answered the call

"Hello mother, how have you been" I asked.

    "Very well, what about you?" She asked

"I am good"

   "Ridwan?"

"He is good, how is Karina. She told me she was back at home and finished her exams already. She also told me she will be in abuja soon. I can't wait for her to come. I already told Ridwan about it too" I said

   "Yeah, she is fine" she said but I could sense mother had something she wanted to say and the call wasn't just to greet me"

   "Mother, is everything okay" I asked and she was silent at first

   "Your father called" she said and at first I was confused because last I remember my father was dead to me.

   "My father" I asked

"Yes, he called. He said he was coming back to Nigeria soon and would like to see you and your sister" mother explained and I didn't understand why mother would even entertain him in a conversation in the first place.

   "Mother, I have no father" I said

"Don't be like that, he just wants to talk"

    "Mother I don't know how you're okay with all of this but I am not!!"

   "Just hear him out"

"Mother, he has nothing to say. He left already. He should remain gone!!!" I said angrily. I was already getting too pissed. This just ruined my whole day.

   "Teslimah" mother called

"I will talk to you later Mother, I have something to do now. I love you" I said before dropping the phone. I didn't want to disrespect mother with my choice of words so I just had to end the call.

    The call already spoilt my whole mood so I just went up to my room to do something. I needed something to clear my head from all this mess. I was angry, very angry. There was nothing that could make me like that man that calls himself my father. I hated him. I know hate is such a strong word but I just didn't know how to explain how I felt about him.

   I couldn't read again, so I just looked around the room for something to do then I saw a photo album. It was Ridwan's. I picked it up then sat on the bed to look through it.

   I had not even opened a lot of pages before my mood lot up again. The childhood pictures of Ridwan were so funny and at a point I was even laughing out loud but there was something I noticed in Ridwan's early childhood pictures. They were three instead of two. Even in the very early family photos, it was a picture of two other girls with Ridwan. One girl was Salma which I knew but I didn't know who the other girl was, she looked like the youngest too but I couldn't recall Ridwan telling me about any other younger sibling. He only ever talked about Salma.

    "What are you doing" I immediately looked back and saw that Ridwan had entered the room without me noticing.

   "I was just going through your pictures, is there something wrong with that" I asked curiously.

   "Who is this girl" I suddenly asked pointing at the second girl in the picture.

   "It's nobody" he answered sharply looking away

   "Why do I feel there is something you're not telling me" I said

   "You don't have to know everything, just leave me alone and stay out of it" he said going out of the room and I sat there wondered what it was that was going on. What was the story!!