Chapter 5

4 January 2015.

Abaji, Abuja.

07:25 am.

Owolabi Residence.

"Daddy"

"Yes, my princess"

"Won't you answer my question?"

Chief Owolabi went silent.

"Daddy, what happened?" Lolade asked as she noticed that her father was suddenly sweating.

"My princess, what I want to tell you is kind of...large. You might want to sit down for this"

"I am already sitting, Daddy"

Chief Owolabi sighed. Well, I guess she's old enough now and she deserves to know the truth.

"Daddy, I am listening" Lolade said. She didn't understand why her father was fidgeting and getting jittery just because of a simple question.

"Well, My princess, it's a long story..."

"...wow." Lolade smiled. "I love long stories. Story story..."

"...but this one is serious!" His voice rose as he glared at her. Lolade felt frightened. Her father had never glared at her like that. She decided that it was better for her to go silent than to talk and further infuriate her father.

He suddenly sighed and said "your mother is not coming back"

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! Lolade's mind went black. Why wouldn't her mother be coming back? Did she die from a plane crash or did she have an injury or was she a patient of a serious disease? Her school teacher had taught her about HIV/AIDS, the disease with no cure. Had she contacted it or what?

Chief Owolabi noticed the battle going on in his daughter's mind but acted oblivious to it and waited for her to speak.

"Why is mummy not coming back?" Lolade asked in a tiny voice that sounded sad and alone.

"I have divorced her"

Divorce? But why? Lolade was confused. A lot of things had been going on under her nose and she hadn't even noticed. She really needed to find out more.

"But, Daddy. Why did you divorce mummy?" She asked in an even tinier voice.

"You were just five years old when your mother left here." Chief Owolabi began.

Lolade craned her ears. She really wanted to listen to why her mother was not with her.

"That day, you were playing with your toy. I think it was either an aeroplane or helicopter. Then she entered holding a glass of water, mineral water to be exact. Then you threw your toy at her and she got startled and poured the water all over her dress. Then she got angry and wanted to punish you but I told her not to and shielded you from her even though you were making dirty looks at her. I cautioned her not to do anything but she refused and said that you needed to be punished and I told her that if she ever touched you, I would divorce her and she left after telling you 'I will miss you, my child '. You were crying so I had to lie to you since you were so young and I didn't want to damage you mentally..."

Chief Owolabi was interrupted by a bodyguard who gave him his third phone that was ringing.

"Sir, you have a call" The bodyguard handed the phone to him and left.

"Thank you, Alli. " He said and realized it was his boss calling. He turned to Lolade.

"Sorry, my princess, it's my only boss calling. I have to take it. "

He left.

As he left, Lolade realized why her father was spoiling her with money. She had read a similar storybook when she was nine. The girl in the book's name was Nabilah. Nabilah was a rich girl with only a father like her and Nabilah was also spoiled with money but Nabilah was so spoiled with money to the extent that she became wayward, ended up with an unwanted pregnancy and her parents disowned her and she ended up on the streets selling roasted corn alongside her baby. Lolade shivered.

It was not just because of Nabilah's story, it was also as a memorial to her mother that made Lolade resolve that no matter how much her father spoiled her, she would never let herself get carried away by it. She closed her eyes and tears dropped from them. She didn't know what a mother's love felt like. She didn't know what the future held for her and she also knew that it wouldn't be easy holding on to her resolve but she still had to try.

Lolade came out of the flashback and stood up. She took her expensive phone and googled HOW CAN I BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF?

As it was loading, she realized what she was doing and hoped that wherever her mother was, she would help her and pray for her.

Mummy, I wish you were here, I hope that wherever you are, you are proud of me. Lolade thought and managed a smile.

THE NEXT DAY

Chief Owolabi was eating Jelly snacks, his favorite dessert after lunch in the dining room, thinking about his new beautiful secretary. She was perfectly shaped and was very graceful and she always looked very beautiful when she smiled. Chief Owolabi was thinking about marrying her since he had divorced that idiotic woman.

I would love to marry a second wife. That would be very nice.

He was interrupted from his hallucinations by Hassan, a bodyguard.

"Sir, two men and one woman are here to see you. They said they know they you very well"

"Huh?" Chief Owolabi was confused. Who could they be? He didn't know any triplets and his parents didn't give birth to any either.

"Sir, two are black, one is fair, two have tribal marks, one doesn't, two have hair, one is bald, two are short, one is tall, two are..."

"... that's okay. How do you know so much about them. Did you study a-three-human-at-a-mansion-door course?"

"No, sir"

"Wait, did you say two are short, one is fair?"

"Yes, I said two are short, one is fair, two have hair, one is bald, two have tribal marks, one is..."

"...yes, yes, I didn't ask for a recap. Just send them in"

As soon as he heard that two are short, one is tall, he knew that the people had the door were none other than Taiye, Kehinde and Tayinde, the only triplets at his workplace.

He smiled.

Then he frowned. The triplets were the only messengers at his workplace. They only visited workers' houses to deliver bad news or tell them that they were fired.

Then he suddenly shot up. Fired? If he got fired, his life would be over. He was sure that they had noticed the chemistry between him and that new secretary. Oh God! Only if he could turn back the hands of time, he would tell that secretary to stay away from him so that he wouldn't lose his job.

His mind raced through all kinds of possibilities. If he got fired, he would be in trouble because this was the only Yarder Engineering company in the whole of Abuja. Which meant he would go broke.

He was still hoping that it was all a dream when he saw three shadows approaching him.