chapter 1

Adam, Adam!" Mrs. Yisa called her last son.

"Coming, mummy" he responded hurrying down the stairs.

It was his oldest brother's art exhibition today, the whole family had to go and to cheer him on.

" Wait oo, u see me hold cooler abi you don blind? " Ahmed, his immediate older brother said as he shoved the cooler to him.

" What did I say about speaking proper English in this house?" Mrs. Yisa warned as the three joined the others in the Jeep outside.

" Sorry, ma" Ahmed answered before rushing to sit in the front seat where Adam always sat.

" If I didn't give birth to y'all I'd have sworn he was the last born." Mrs. Yisa said to Adam who chuckled. Getting into the car, he closed the door.

" We have barely thirty minutes before the program starts." Andrew, the second son said as he drove away.

" UK Bello isn't very far na, we're going to make it in time." Alex, the third son said.

Adam glanced at his phone, and a smile graced his handsome face, his story had over 500 thousand reads already.

" Turn off that awful music right now, Ahmed before I descend on you! " Mrs. Yisa said when Ahmed switched on the radio.

The Yisa's were a family of six with five boys, Aaron - the oldest, Andrew, Alexander, Ahmed and then Adam.

Their father Mr. Ambrose Yisa had passed away five years ago leaving Mrs. Amelia Yisa to take care of them . It wasn't all terrible though they were a very tight knitted family and always where there for one another, if they ever needed anything there was always an uncle or Aunt somewhere who would provide coupled with the money Mr. Yisa had saved up while working for the government and Mrs. Yisa's job as a nurse in the city's hospital, they lived quite comfortably.

Aaron, at 29 had graduated from the University of Lagos where he studied art and culture with the dream of being an artist/ painter, the Job opportunities for the likes of him wasn't much and thus, he had been engaging himself from one menial job to another. The second, Andrew, was 27 and almost done with his studies at police academy where he's studying pharmaceutical sciences. From a very young age, Andrew was bright and intelligent, he got a scholarship to study at a police secondary school and after writing UTME, got another one to continue at police academy Kano, he had proposed to his highschool sweetheart and was getting married after he graduated. Alexander was the third, at 23 he lived with an uncle in Bida where he's working as an apprentice. Alex was the odd one in the family, he had refused to study, arguing that he wasn't cut out for that and would rather like to start up his own business. Though Mrs. Yisa was worried that he might turn out to be like his oldest brother who had no stable job, there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

Ahmed was the fourth child, from the moment he was born, his grandmother was convinced that her dead husband had reincarnated in form of the little boy, she doted on him immensely. He pretty much became her favorite grandson thus, she insisted on naming him Ahmed after her husband. At 19 years old he had finished his secondary education two years ago and applied to the University of Jos to study Engineering. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic admissions had been slow causing him to still be at home which he hated more than anything.

Finally, Adam, the youngest child in the family was 18 and was in his final year in highschool. Adam had always been so gentle even when he was little and was the closest to his mother. He always does everything he can to make her happy and even though she never says it out loud, everyone knew he was her favorite. He majored in science and was planning to apply for Medicine and be a Doctor just like his mother wanted for him.

' my future Doctor ' she always called him with so much adoration in her eyes and he'll smile back sweetly at her he might not be too keen on drawing blood and stitching wounds but it made his mom happy which in turn made him happy.

" We're here!" Ahmed said from the front seat causing everyone to take their eyes off their phones. They alighted.

" Okay boys make sure you stay close by and keep your phones on you at all times. I don't want to look for you at the end of the program." Mrs. Yisa said.

" Geez mom, what are we, five? " Ahmed grumbled.

" What was that? " She asked.

" No. Nothing ma. " Ahmed said stepping backwards to avoid getting hit.

" Yeye" Alex whispered to him and he rolled his eyes as they walked away.

(Idiot)

" You'll sit with me, won't you, sweetie." She said to Adam.

" Of course, Mom." Adam said as he followed her to find a seat.

**************************

Thanks for the food ma." The boys said unanimously in Nupe at the end of dinner.

" Thanks be to God." She responded as they left the table. " Uncle Tsado called, I'm going back to Bida tomorrow mma." Alex said.

" That's nice. Andrew you're also leaving tomorrow right? " She asked.

" Next tomorrow. I have to be in school before Monday." He said.

" Ok then. Safe journey to both of you " she smiled warmly.

" Night, mma" they both left.

" Baba? " Mrs. Yisa called Adam who was fumbling with his phone.

" Ma" he looked up.

" You've been busy with your phone alot lately. Don't let it affect your studies, certificate exams and UTME is commencing soon. " She said, clearing the table. He immediately stood up to help her.

" I know, mummy I'll do my best. I promise." He said, taking the plates to the kitchen.

" I trust you, sweetheart. You're going to make me so proud." She reached up to stroke his hair.

" I'll finish cleaning up, mummy. Get some rest." He said.

" Okay, child. Good night." She said, leaving the kitchen.

His mind trailed off to his meeting with the schools principal. He hadn't been doing very good lately because most classes were now practical and he hated being in the lab plus, he hadn't been reading as hard as before because he was working on his online novel. But he would make sure he upped his game he couldn't disappoint his mother....

As he cleaned up the kitchen ,he heard his mom talking...

" You're 29 and still living in your father's house, Aaron. When would you open your eyes and... behave like your mates. Get a job, even if it's teaching your....art at some school, move out, maybe find a serious girlfriend and start planning on settling down... Take Andrew for example, he—"

" Don't, mma. Please don't compare me to my younger brother. Our paths are different. Mma, you know I love art, it's my passion, I can't just give it up."

" Art art art, you keep talking about it but what good has it done. Has it ever put food on your table? No. But I have always done that so you would listen to me, young man."

" Fine! You want me to move out? You're literally throwing me out . Okay, I'll move out if that's what you want. I'm tired of doing this with you every time, mma. I get it, you think I'm useless but.. I can't stop or change anything. I love what I do. "

" Son, you are not useless unless you choose to be. "

" Great, so you think I chose to be useless. "

" Watch your tone with me, Aaron. I'm your mother and you're not above me knocking some sense into your head! "

"..... "

" I love you, son. And I want you to be happy. I only want what's best for you. "

" I understand, mma.... Good night "

Setting the last plate quietly on the sink, Adam tiptoed to the room he shared with Ahmed.

" Baba? " He heard his mother call from her room. Damn, does she know he overheard them?

" Yes, mummy." He answered.

" Did you feed the dog his dinner?" Came her soft voice.

" Yes I did. Good night." He answered, sighing in relief. If there was one thing his mother hated it was eavesdropping, it made her very angry and he didn't want her to be angry, never.

" Can you be quieter? Some people are trying to sleep." Ahmed groaned as Adam entered the room.

" Yeah right, Like you were sleeping in the first place. " Adam said joining him in bed.

" Repeat wetin you talk if you know say you get mind. " Ahmed said. Adam rolled his eyes and took out his phone to update his novel.

(Repeat what you said if you have the guts)

" Good night, " he said.

" Mummy's pet.. " he heard Ahmed murmur but he didn't care less. To him Ahmed was always desperately looking for attention and he wasn't going to give it to him.

15 chapters later, he decided it was time to sleep if he wanted to make it to school on time tomorrow.

Plugging in his phone to charge, he said his prayers and fell asleep.

***********★★★**********

A/N

Baba means father but is also used as a term of endearment by mothers to their sons.