Chapter 4 - Resolve

THE JEGEDE RESIDENCE

**Silence**

"This is Nigeria for God's sake and not the states. How could you pull a stunt like that? Eva!" Chief thundered, causing the birds to fly off the mango tree outside the compound.

" What are you trying to prove, tell me!" Chief slammed his hands on the table while Eva sat down on her favourite chair with her face down.

"What do you want your mum to think, if anything had happened to you? That I don't care for you enough?" Chief was clearly mad at his daughter and the entire staff knew about it, they pitied Eva. But they also knew she went out of line. The hoodlums in the streets, if they were to know who she was, would not have hesitated in inflicting harm on her or kidnapped her to get back at her father.

The Jegede household is blessed with wealth both at national and international levels and people won't hesitate to tap into the wealth whether through legal or illegal means. So what Eva did was a peekaboo stunt to the hoodlums, leaving the house without security and straying alone on the streets of Lagos.

Chief had to use extreme measures to ensure her safety this afternoon by involving the police force. He had also promised his late wife that he would take super care of her, that is one of the reasons he had stayed single for twelve years now, ever since she died. Then Eva was just five years old. All he has ever lived for was his little girl. So his actions are justified as she gave him quite a scare a few hours ago.

"What do you have to say to this, daughter? Answer me!" He thundered causing even the staff to cower in fear.

" This is all your fault daddy, it is your fault"

Eva said curtly.

"My fault? When all I want is your safety?" " You know what? Since you really love public transport, how about you make use of that from henceforth" Chief slapped back earning a gasp from Eva as she recalled that hell of a bus.

"No dad! I can't use public transport, I will definitely die there. I just wanted to let you know that I can drive myself around. That's why I did it. I feel really suffocated when I can't even do the things I like. Sometimes I feel like a prisoner paying for the sins of the cruel world out there, because I know you want to keep me safe." She said, breaking into tears. Chief couldn't bear to see her cry. He hugged his daughter and patted her back.

"Calm down Eva. I'm sorry you feel that way, but I don't know how else to keep you safe, I just have to restrict your movement for a while until you leave for the states." Chief said softly and wiped her tears with a tissue. Eva was now sniffling.

" How about I let you drive while Edgar and Snoopy tail your car?" Chief suggested.

"No! Dad, except from a distance." She bargained.

"From a distance, okay." Chief agreed.

"Gosh, Dad I have a headache now." Eva slurred, now smiling.

"Not as bad as mine, dear." " Neye, get the first aid, we need pain killers." Chief said amidst laughter.

Members of the Jegede household never went to bed with anger or grudges, because anger and grudges are like garbage, the longer they stay in your heart, the faster they rot and spread the germs and stench of hatred and evil all over the mind. That was what her late mum had always preached.

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Back in her room she struggled to do her home exercises that were given from school. But she couldn't concentrate, how could she? when there's actually someone she thought was just an imaginary figure in her head, walking the surface of the world. His wonderful eyes, his perfect jawline, pink lips, radiant brown skin, broad chest, his smile and those dimples. Now she is thinking about it. He had stopped her from slamming her head on the driver's seat and he even offered to pay for her fare. She will never forget him, not in this life and not in another. Newton actually exists, which means all the humongous unrealistic expectations of her ideal man and ideal kind of love she had written down could actually be achieved too. She was too excited that she had to update her story on her pink notepad. She reached for her backpack, only to pour out the whole content and still didn't find her notepad. She knows the book never left her backpack unless she wants to update it. She ran down the stairs to the BMW, the Benz, the Hummer truck, the Ferrari, the Corolla and the Audi but could not find it. She needn't check the Lamborghini, the Bentley,Rolls Royce, the Ferrari or BMW because those monsters rarely get out on the road except for very important occasions. She felt like a part of her was taken. Now there is only one person to find. Newton.