257: The Basketball Player.

🥀Happy new Month, hope this month brings in blessings and love. Xoxo🤪🌹

I woke up with a loud ringing on my phone. Trying to look at my phone, it was a call from Rose's school. I received the call and walked outside to receive it. I don't know why they are calling me this early morning. I hope it's not something that Rose did. 

"Sorry to call you this morning, but I have received your request for two students whom you wanted to join our school."

Which two applications was she talking about? It's Saturday, I don't expect any calls from school. I am sorry but I think you are talking to the wrong person. I am sure she has made a mistake and called me instead. 

"Are you sure sir? The message, you've said they are Rose's siblings. Unless someone else drafted them."

Then it dawned on me, fuck, I had requested for Noelle and Zeke to join Rose's school. How can I forget about that this early? The way I was anticipating that call. Turns out I slept and forgot that I had to make sure the two kids got an opportunity in the school. 

Sorry, ma'am, I had already forgotten. Yeah, I want a space for two kids. They are in the same class as Rose and I was wondering if they can be allocated a class by Monday?

"Yeah, I was calling to say that, they will need to do an interview and pass. So they are supposed to do it this morning from eleven. That's the deadline."

Eleven? That's late considering Noelle almost slept an eleven yesternight. Would you mind starting it from twelve, I will pay for the teachers to mark and assign the exams. The kids slept late and waking them this early is going to be hard. Maybe you may know them, they were in the school for an academic tour.

The principal agreed to twelve. I know by the time it's nine, they will be ready to wake up and prepare themselves for the interview. 

Walking back into my room, Noelle was still sleeping, so freestyled, she hasn't even moved from where she had placed her head last night. I popped my head into the boy's room, and what the hell, looks like people were in a wrestling ground here. Rose had his legs on Zeke's mouth, while Zeke was placing his hands on top of Rose's head.  I had to rearrange all of them before this turned way worse than it is. 

Checking my clock, it was six, my good time to exercise. Changing into some gym clothes, I hit the gym in the extra room.  It was just a normal gym room, though the hotel also had a mega gym room where several people usually do their practice. 

Exercise is about mindset, hitting the treadmill because I didn't want to go running. A normal weekend will see Rose and me on the road with bodyguards behind us following us as we run. Rose doesn't do a lot of running but he is always determined to add more steps to her daily. 

I didn't notice the figure that was standing beside me with hands-on her waist. She had her basketball jersey on. I was too engrossed in my thoughts to even look at her. It was not until she turned off the music on my phone that I realised she had been standing there for some time. 

Morning, I thought you should be sleeping? She looked at me and laughed. Holding the small drum bells in her hands she lifted them. 

"I play, and players don't have a place to sleep, my dream is to play in the lakers. I love the team and that is part of my reason for being here. At least you have a gym here, I will make good use of it."

I thought you just love the basketball jersey, so you play? Which other surprises does she have for me? To m,e I didn't think she will be playing anything but her height is an added advantage. She can dunk the ball any way she wants to. 

"No, I support and play at the same time. Maybe you can take me through training. When I was with my mum, she used to coach me and tell me to run. She would time me if I failed to run the designated time, and I would start all over. So maybe you can train me right now."

This is hard. I rarely played basketball. It was just there to pass time and nothing important out of it. Maybe I would look into those training and start. 

Okay, maybe you hop on the treadmill because we are not going for any run if that's okay?

She looked at the treadmill and walked to it. She looked afraid standing on it. I had to hold her back while she stepped on it. Since it was not moving she won't have a hard time standing on it. She looked at me and wanted to place her hands on the start point but I had to give her the instructions needed.

                     "I have never used one though."

Don't worry, you will just do it okay. First, you need to go slow then with time you will pick up the pace. You can use this even when you are on your laptop or phone as long as you don't put the full speed.

She nodded and asked me to switch it on for her. She was a good learner. Just one explanation and she did everything correctly. That morning I spent my gym time trying to help her through with other new exercises and she was enjoying every moment of it. She was dedicated too. She didn't cry, let alone say the exercise was hard than the other and wanted to quit. Instead,d she will be taking a  break and resuming again. When she was done, she was sweating all over her body and her hair was kind of wet. 

        Do you think you guys are ready for an interview today?

"With books, we are always ready, I bet my mom will chop our necks if I tell you we are not ready. So, when is the interview."

Damn, Daniella kept them under tough rules and I thought I had Rose under tough conditions. It's from twelve at Rose's school. If you guys are not ready, don't struggle, we can reschedule.

"No, I am going to wake Zeke up, trust me he will be ready in five minutes."

I had to laugh at that. Zeke is like Brian, he will be ready in the next hundred hours. Maybe Noelle can be ready in those five minutes. I asked her to take a bath and called Brian to get some new clothes for the interviews so that they can look presentable. I had to prepare some breakfast.

In the kitchen, I heard a shrill scream from Rose's room. I rushed there and find Zeke shouting all over the place. Rose was awake now looking at him surprised by why he was shouting this loudly.

Zeke, are you okay? I shouted walking to him.

"Where is Noelle, I can't see Noelle, I need to see Noelle!" 

He was shouting. It's like he couldn't understand where he was at this time. His frantic voice could be felt. I had to calm him down to make sure he doesn't panic. Noelle was showering and there is no way I am going to remove her from the shower. 

       "Is she okay?" 

Yeah, she is okay, she slept in the other room and you guys slept here with Rose, don't you remember?

        "Wait, are we in New York?"

He must have slept to even remember where he was. That's why he woke up shouting his sister's name. Yes, you are in New York and you guys have interviews today. You should be getting ready. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to shout like that, I will get myself ready. Morning Rose."

Rose greeted him back looking at me. Go help him fix a shower and also take one, we need to accompany them to your school for an interview.  I crushed at the door with Noelle whose hair was dumped. She was also rushing to where her brother was. 

"Is je okay? We usually wake up together maybe he didn't find me by his side that's why he screamed."

It's okay, he was looking for you actually but he is okay now, maybe you can blow dry your hair, then come take breakfast as we wait for uncle Brian to come over. They seem to be close to each other.

She nodded and walked to my room. I finished preparing their breakfast. I made some varieties so they can choose from. Including the oats that Zainab had different ideas about. 

Taking a shower myself to look okay and to remove the sweat of early exercise, I found the trio already at the table. Noelle had stolen another t-shirt of mine and for Zeke, Rose had lent him some of his clothes. 

"Nimo, do you want me to make your hair, it looks funny, or uncle can do it for you."

Noelle's hair was a mess, she didn't know how to tame her buns yet. I helped her make her hair into a tight neat bun before asking them to eat. 

"Rose you still do take milk? I am not taking milk."

Rose shook his head and poured himself a cup of coffee and took some pancakes from the table. They left the milk and oats there, I guess they will be given after all.