"Osas!" My dad screamed the way I imagined Zeus would. I could only think of two reasons that could make him thunder my that way: If his money was missing Or if he hadn't eaten. I had just left his room where I dropped his food which he rushed like it was the end of the world, so that left only one option: his money was missing?

I couldn't remember taking his money. I searched every inch of my mind to see if the smoke from our neighbour's wierd smelling food had clouded my brain, I saw nothing and it meant trouble. I was the only one around when he came back home and I had entered his room twice already including one time when he paid a visit to our white house.

It couldn't have been me, I protested in my mind. I wasn't sloppy like that. Whenever I raided his room, I always made sure to be very discreet. I would make several appearances before him, engage him in political discussions and support his every point, that way he would so like me at that instant. I would strike under the guise of checking on the food in the kitchen and quickly return to him. Suspecting me then would be almost impossible except for the one time when he came to answer his ringing phone just as I was about to enter his room. Well I told his I was going to bring the phone to him but I saw the look in his eyes.

"Osass o!" He called again jolting me from my thoughts. I jogged to his room, putting on my 'I am innocent' face.

"When you block your ears with your headphones, how would you hear anything " he said as soon as he sighted me. I could hear the irritation in his voice but never had he used this as an opening line to say his money was missing. It was either 'What! What! They have come again! " or "I can't keep my money in my room and meet it?" Followed by threats upon threats.

"Sit down!" He ordered.

Strange again, I wondered. He usually never so formal.

"I didn't take it" I mouthed as I sat but he didn't hear me.

He stood from his bed, walked to his drawer and brought something out. I couldn't figure out what it was exactly but it seemed like an envelope. He walked towards me and stretched it at me.

"Open it"

Go on bro

Got ur back

I complied. I had since given up trying to figure out what was going on. I stole glances at him as he waited impatiently for me to open it.

"Read it out" he urged.

"Dear Mr Bello" I read out steadily. "Peace be with you. We write to you in respect of your son's request to be part of our Young Achievers train..."

I dropped the letter as I read the last part. I didn't think they would contact my dad. I just requested to be part of them for the fun of it. There was no way my parents would let me leave the house for something like that. Sometimes I wondered if they were ever going to let me get married.

"Keep reading" my dad ordered but in a low tune. I felt compelled by his looks to pick up the letter and read but my hands were as numb as my lips. For a moment I felt paralysed. Only my mind worked. I searched for someone to blame, it had to be the craft of my youth leader. I had emphatically told him that my parents were never going to let me leave the house for that long. I was going to kill him if I could get out of my father's presence alive.

"So it hasn't gotten to this ehn? You now go as far as reporting me" he tapped his chest like a wrestler. "To your fu..." He paused.

Now I was even more determined to kill our youth leader.

"So you want to go ehn?"

"Nooo I only..."

"Shut up!" He looked like he was going to tear me to threads. "Leave here at once" he tone dropped.

It sounded like music to my ears as I jumped with zeal and made for the door.

"Osas" His call made me stop like a robot. "Since that's what you want to do with your life, tell them I said you can go".

I dashed out as I heard the period in his voice. As soon as I reached safety, his words registered in my head. He said I could go!
I felt this mixed feelings of adventure, curiosity and fear.

I was going away from home!

engrhorla:
Go on bro
Got ur back

tnx sire

Guy wetin be HSA for that ur game wey u post... Abeg reply ASAP... Thanks

The few remaining days I had to stay at home before leaving were the most uncomfortable days of my life. My dad kept giving me the look that I had stolen something, my mom stopped talking to me the moment she found out that I was leaving, however I wasn't the only recipient of her cold shoulders. She was pretty mad at my dad too for giving me the okay and I must confess; I loved it.

Days passed liked an old crippled tortoise crawling through a sandy desert but the D-day finally arrived.

I could swear that I saw a cloud of tears gather at the corner of my father's eyes. For the first time since I brought the damning result from school, i felt that my dad didn't hate me.

He spoke tenderly to me and my mum hugged me like she was never going to see me again and I wondered why I hadn't made previous attempts to go on trips. I felt sorry for them and a little bit guilty too but all that emotion vanished as I was out of sight.

I had never made any such travel except one time when I had to leave my state to write an exam and I didn't go alone.

I had a mixed feeling about the whole thing. I was scared of the uncertain but at the same I was curious to what I held. I had to embark on this journey but first I needed to go to the bank and it was almost 4pm.

I was lucky enough to get a taxi that was heading towards my direction but I had to part ways with more money than I bargained for as the driving conveniently could come up with my change.

I think I broke some short distance record as I raced from the gate of the bank to the door. I checked my time as I got to the door. It was exactly 4pm. The security man stared at me as though he wanted to turn me away. I was ready to challenge him and raise the case that my time read a minute to four which was a lie.

"Go in" he finally said and I forgot everything about challenging him and graciously thanked him.

I pressed the green button and the door opened, I stepped in and it shut behind me.

The banking hall way nearly empty from where I stood which was good news for me as it meant that I would be attended to on time.

I waited one minute, still the door in front of me wouldn't open. Two minutes, three minutes, it still didn't slide open. I turned back hoping that the door behind me didn't shut totally; it did! I was in between two full-proof automatic doors which were probably 0.3 metres apart with no vent space and the doors didn't seem so automatic anymore.

I pressed and tapped any thing that seemed like a bottom, no response. I didn't know if I could breath in there but my mind told me I was going run out of air. I had to scream.

"Help! Help!!" I yelled.

I wasn't at the other side of the doors but I could tell that no one could hear me. I didn't have any other choice. I kept on telling and banging the doors and then the security man saw me.

He look at me for a minute and just as I was about to heave a sigh of relief, he walked away.