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Ahem....


Errr.....

So that'll be the update I have for now, thanks to our "mid-semester" break(You can ask our management what that means.)

So shout-out to my namesake, harjibolar10. You're the best...muah. But you still owe me on the bet o

Oche211, I definitely owe you one

Chapter Eleven

Clank......
Lydia jumped off the king sized bed on hearing the sound. It had come from the kitchen most definitely. She looked back to the bed and saw that Tolu wasn't back yet. He was getting crazier by the day, she thought to herself and tied a wrapper about her waist before leaving the bedroom to check where the noise came from.

She carefully moved her hand on the wall along the corridor to check where the light switch was and put it on. Looking around, she tried fixing where the sound could have come from and checked into the room of her kids to meet them sprawled over the bed, fast asleep. She had nearly shut the door close when she suddenly recollected that she had "August visitors" and they weren't on the bed where she thought they had fallen asleep earlier before she retired to bed.

"So they've become rats in my house, eh?!" Lydia burst angrily and turned around and out of the bedroom to see Niyi and his sister trying to get out of the kitchen quietly.

"Are the both of you normal?!!!!" She yelled in a tone that sent shivers down the spine of the siblings.

Niyi raised his eyes to her and brought them down almost immediately seeing how fiery she looked. It was no use explaining they didn't mean to rouse her from her sweet sleep and he was only trying to get Sonia a glass of water since she complained of feeling stuffed and cold. He was simply trying to take care of his sister and had asked her to stay back in the bedroom but she'd insisted on coming with him saying she was scared of being alone. Now they'd both have to get told the histories of their life. He only prayed it'd end real quick since he still hadn't gotten the water for Sonia.

"Don't act like dumb fools. I know you're smarter than you're looking now most especially you pigheaded boy," Lydia continued pointing straight at Niyi with her fingers touching his forehead.

Gathering all the boyish courage he could muster, Niyi looked straight up at Lydia and spoke in defense of himself, "Sonia wanted to drink water and I didn't know where to get for her."

Lydia hissed loudly, "So you took these two unfortunate feet of yours into my kitchen?! Is this what your witch mother asked you to do, eh? You want to drop something in my pot and kill me as well as my children?!" Lydia thundered.

Sonia kept her eyes down, all of a sudden scared of her dad's mistress. She wished her mum was there to pull her close and tell her everything was fine the way she always did.
All of a sudden, she couldn't get anymore breaths and began gasping.

"Niyi.....my....." She started clutching her chest and sank back slowly falling back onto the floor.

Screaming loudly, Niyi ran to her side not knowing what had happened to her. She wasn't sick and so he didn't understand why she was laying there gasping with very short breaths taken rapidly.

"My sister!" Her brother let out, confused before turning to the stone-cold figure before them, "Please, give us water...." Niyi pleaded with his eyes already filled with tears.

Lydia looked down at them both and let her mouth open. She also couldn't understand what could prompt whatever "drama" was being unveiled before her now but she wasn't ready to buy their acting skills.

Turning about, she kicked Niyi out of her way and went ahead to shut the door that led into the kitchen before walking past them and over back into the bedroom.
She almost froze however when she heard the front door open to let Tolu in who gave out a very loud yell on seeing both his children there, one unconscious and the other sobbing, trying to resuscitate his sister.


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Tolu sighed over again when the nurse at the reception desk told him to keep calm and the doctor would join him shortly. He'd been pacing about the hospital's reception for nearly four hours expecting the old doctor who went into the theatre after Sonia was wheeled in there on emergency to come out.
He couldn't even think for now. Whatever was wrong with his baby girl was unfathomable to him? She was a really strong girl and always had that cheerful expression on her face. He just didn't.......

"That's him over there," he heard the nurse say and looked up to see the doctor.

"Sir, my daughter?"

"We tried our best and she's breathing now, thankfully." The doctor approached him patting his back gently, trying to calm him down seeing the fear that was written over his face.

Tolu heaved slowly and closed his eyes briefly.

"I'd like to have a word with you anyways. Your daughter might not be totally out of the loop. We'd discuss that in my office," the older man continued as he led the way into his office adjacent to the hospital's reception.

Tolu looked over to Niyi who had stayed silent all the while waiting alongside his dad. The boy had also gotten off the chair he had stuck his bum to all along and followed his father's beckon to come with.

"Is this your son also?" Dr. Adelola asked as soon as they were seated.

"Yes. He's her immediate elder brother."

"Good. Young man, what's your name?" He turned his attention to Niyi who folded his palms together trying to keep warm.

"Niyi, sir."

He nodded smilingly, "I hope you don't bother your sister a lot. What's her name?"

"Sonny."

"She's a pretty little girl with a pretty name too then. Kids like her are just unfortunate victims."

"She takes after her mother in that respect," Tolu had let out before recollecting he hadn't even called Deola in the whole event.

Dr. Aladelola adjusted his glasses on the rim of his nose and clasped his palms together,
"Sonny had a sudden cardiac arrest(SCA). It's not exactly a heart attack and could have various causes. Sonia's seems to be LQTS. That is Long QT syndrome but I can't conclude on that yet since the chances are one in seven thousand children so we'd have to run tests on her just to know how to manage it well. Are you still with me?" He asked Tolu noting his absentmindedness.

Tolu nodded, "She'll be fine?"

"Of course. You shouldn't get so worked up. Are you a Christian?"

Tolu scoffed and rubbed his palms together, "You could say so. I go to church...... at times," he added.

"How about their mother?" He continued having a strong feeling he had a duty to perform for the young man sitting opposite him. He had been about to leave the hospital premises when he saw him rush into the hospital with his daughter drooping across his shoulder and the son running closely behind. Whatever had led to the girl losing consciousness, he had prayed within him to be able to resuscitate her in the operating theatre.

Tolu hesitated for a while and looked over at Niyi before looking back at the glass table, "She's......fine."

"I hope you won't think me a nosy old man if I ask you why she didn't come with you."

"We're good actually. She just stayed back at home because of her panic," he said keeping his eyes from the doctors'.

The doctor nodded. He could see clearly that Tolu wasn't been sincere in his replies and thought it needful to get involved in his life.

"Tell her not to worry when next you see her and do let me have both your phone numbers so as to communicate the release of the test results to you. I hope you don't mind." He asked bringing out his BlackBerry smartphone and handing it out to Tolu.

Tolu took the phone and typed his number first, hesitating whether or not to type Deola's. He hadn't spoken to her in almost two weeks now and didn't know how to explain to her that their daughter was having cardiac attacks in a fortnight of withdrawing her from her mother. He'd just have to pray she had the strength to withstand the news.

"So that'll be it for now. You can check on Sonny now and come to take her later, okay?" He told Niyi who looked indifferent.
His sister had gone lifeless in his hands and he had been unable to do anything. Looking at his father now, he could do nothing but blame him and hate him. He knew nothing about Sonny and had taken them both away from their mum only for her to get sick under their step mom. He could only tag Sonia getting "sick" to emotional discomfort and nothing more.

"Thank you, sir." Tolu said stretching his right hand out to the doctor which he received smiling.

"My pleasure. Let me lead you to her in the kid's ward," the doctor offered and led them both back out of his office, knowing he had an assignment to fulfill now.

#observing

Second to comment.....Yay!!

Sir Larry, ride on....

chijudith:
thanks thanks but ur update came very late

Ouch! Sorry......

adefunke62:
so this guy no get sense still, thinking of marry anoda wife again, I pity your condition, abeg let d children b wit their mother o, I hate stories of evil step mothers and Deola should b d woman and take care of her children not neglecting them for a nuisance father lyk dt, weldone keziah

Thanks and don't conclude on it all yet o.
I'll clear it up in a while since I hope to type up anytime now.

harjibolar10:
Okay now, we will still manage it...


Meanwhile...
So, lydia and her mother inlaw have gone this far; to the extent of pocketing that yeye tolu or whatsoever he called himself.

'oojiya o lo gbon' abeg who's your teacher? Deola, na endurance pay most oooo

Niyi darling, worry not, you will soon grow and your mum will cry no more


Keziah, ah swear you no try at all, but I will keep am sha, on the other hand, thanks for the update

Namesake mi to sure! I'll update this soooooon....
The network is a little tolerable so I'm hoping it lasts a while. Kamsahamnida.

aprilwise:
This story has a lot of moral lesson to learn at the end. Infact I ve learnt some already. It is a wonderful masterpiece.

I'm glad I could impact lessons in my own little way. Makes the reason I started writing worth it now. Kumao!

ahmanim:
kizzy, kizzy, kizzy. Abeg i no no whether to thank u for this update now as u don increase curiousity level. i tot i will b reading a complete chapter. Anyhow, thank u small. Take ur time, we will b waiting patiently for a filling update soonest. All d best in ur akada

Thank me small?

Errrm...I intended to have made the update a little longer but due to ahem...bad network, no light....Just to mention but a few. So bear with that for now.

Thank y'all for staying around. Love you xoxo....

harjibolar10:

I beat 168 hours finally.

It can't be longer because of our power outage and I need to save my battery.

So guys, just malage am

--------------

"Niyi, come over to the bench with your sister. The sun rays are too bright there," the light skinned lady beckoned to Niyi and his sister while roasting corn on the open barbecue slate.

"I'm hungry," Sonia grumbled to her brother the minute she took her seat on the wooden bench. They had been back from school for over six hours but had to stay out, waiting for either of their parents to come fetch them at the roast corn stand near their school compound.

This was the life they'd had to bear with ever since they moved out of Ikoyi to the outskirts of Lagos the previous year. Their mother now had a mini pharmacy store where the turnover served mostly in feeding them from hand to mouth. Deola had become responsible for seventy to ninety percent of the household's upkeep even before she got the store.

Niyi, now being eight had also become his mother's only companion in terms of understanding. She yelled at him and his kid sister at times out of her frustration but she then would burst into tears and laments leaving the boy to pet his mother with his usual line of "Mummy don't worry. When I grow older, you won't cry again."


Whenever he said that, his mom would pull him into a hug and end up crying more. She got so distracted lately that half the time, it was the security personnel of the elementary school that put calls to her to come pick her kids up.

"I have twenty naira with me. Will you eat biscuit?" Niyi offered his sister calmly. They didn't have breakfast before leaving for school and the money he had with him was meant to serve as his lunch money but since a friend of his had given him part of his lunch, he had thought it better to reserve his own lunch allowance for a situation like this where his mom was either busy, (since she got more customers at that time), or she had gotten carried away again, leaving them to fate.

"I want to go home. Mosquito is biting me," Sonia kept grumbling. She was only six and wasn't ready to care why their parents would enroll them in a school of over twenty kilometers from their house, making them wait till late at night each day before returning home.

Niyi sighed and looked straight ahead into the rising moon. It must have gotten really late, probably eight p.m and there was still no sign of their mom......or dad.

"I want to go home," Sonia continued.

"Let's go. Mummy may have forgotten again. We'll beg the bus conductor to give us a ride with the twenty naira. We can trek home from the bus stop then," Niyi suggested to his sister who beamed and got off the bench with her schoolbag.

"Look at her face," Niyi tugged at her cheeks and also reached for his schoolbag.

The woman whom they had sat at her stall turned to look at the siblings now. She had been listening to their conversation for a while now and shook her head. The children looked so piteous that she at times wondered why God gave such adorable kids to non worthy parents.

"Sonny, come and take this." She beckoned reaching for a piece of roast corn to hand to the lass.

Sonia stared first at her brother who had given her the bad eye not to receive it. Their mum had always emphasized the rule of not receiving things from strangers, but the lady wasn't a stranger to them so she wondered why Niyi wouldn't want her to have it.

"No, thank you," Sonia muttered slowly looking down.

"Don't be silly. Am I a stranger? Take this." Laide, the roast corn seller insisted.

Just then, a car approached with very bright headlamps causing them all to squint through trying to block out the light rays threatening to melt down their retinas.

The car had driven past a few blocks before reversing back to them.

"It's daddy's car," Niyi said excitedly and then ran to the car with his sister following closely.

Tolu hopped out of the red Nissan Altima and pulled the back door open,
"Get in," he said curtly not paying cognizance of the stall lady.

As soon as both kids got into the vehicle, he hopped into the driver's seat and zoomed away leaving the roast corn seller to marvel at the personality of the children's father.

"Nawa o. Orisirisi," she said loudly and hissed as she watched the vehicle speed off.

---------------------


"Who's there?" Taiwo yelled from the huge leather couch where he was watching t.v. He wasn't ready to get off the couch to check who was at the door but now jumped off on hearing his dad's voice at the door.

"Daddy!" He said hopping to the door to let his dad in as well as two other kids he'd never seen in his five years living.

"Why are you shouting, eh?" His mum, Lydia said strolling out of the bedroom.

Tolu looked over at her before going to sit on the longest couch, "Because he saw his father."

"The useful or useless one?" Lydia muttered more to herself before noticing the children with him.

Eyeing them from head to toe, she looked back at Tolu, "And what's this?"

Not paying her attention, Tolu looked over to Niyi and Sonia, "Greet your step mom."

Niyi looked at the lady with disgust in his eyes. He had heard a lot about her from his mother whenever she was speaking to her friends or brothers. Seeing her in real life now was sickening. The lady that took his dad from his mom.

"Did your mother not teach you manners? Look at them staring like frogs." Lydia hissed loudly, "What are they doing in my house?" She asked again turning to Tolu.

"They're here to stay so get used to it." Tolu stated and relaxed into the couch, shutting his eyes.

"Are you alright? Don't they have their own mother or since when did I tell you I included 'Babysitting' in my resumé?"

Niyi looked at the duo with anger. Why was his dad saying they were there to stay? How about his mother? Did his mother move out or did she travel somewhere?

He had barely said anything when Sonia beat him to it,

"I want to go home to my mummy." Sonia told Tolu who let his eyes open briefly and then shut it back.

"Your mummy is not at home." He told her simply. He had a particular fondness of the girl, maybe because she looked just as beautiful as her mother. She looked as though Deola had spat her out taking after her in nearly every respect.
And why was he still thinking about Deola's beauty when he just had a brawl with her barely three hours to the time?

He wasn't ready to think about what ensued that afternoon when he went home to check on Deola. They had exchanged words and she had moved out. Or rather, he had asked her to move out before he got back.

He was fed up of coping and didn't want to any longer. He'd have loved to start up a new life with someone else but taking a last advice from Tayo, he didn't.

He stood up now, ignoring Lydia's calls to come and clear his stupid talks and went out to the verandah. He needed air now, silently praying Deola didn't call his bluff.

adegwurulez:
awwww someborri hand me a hanky. What can i say? You're such a great friend. No, i wont disappear, how can i do that to myself? Thanks dear

Take my own hanky, ehn.

And yeah, don't do that to yaself. Stay around.

Akposb:
The length of time sounds like a year but do enjoy your time in school. Still hoping for that update sha.

I wont let the hours become days as long as the NEPA here decides to help my battery's condition.
Btw, I started typing already and still pwomise to keep to my pwomise.

Oh My God!!! Glitches is over?!

How could I have missed that??

So lemme take this time out to appreciate an awesome pen pal and writer in you, adegwurulez. You are one great fiery ball of talent here on the literature segment of nairaland.

I do not regret the day I clicked the link to this beautiful story. Though there were bumps but that simply made the ride much more real. Sometimes, I felt as though I was part of the set and really having a real time moment at almost every second of reading.

Did I mention you're awesome? Like really awesome? And even with your busy schedule at school, you manage to post nothing less than meritorious here (because, believe me I totally understand how uneasy it is to combine writing with schoolwork as a science student in a tertiary institution).

You've been awesome and you deserve kudos for that. It had been my greatest pleasure being your number one female follower here.

I wanna be like you in terms of perseverance so please don't disappear yet, okay?

Congrats again, Sir.

So much love,
Kizzy.

old2boy:
Hi Kizzy, We understand school work can pile up but pls do drop an update. Good story that must not die off.

School work has definitely been piling up and though it hasn't been coming too easily, I'd most definitely drop an update before the lapse of one hundred and sixty eight hours. So help me God (Amen) * raising my left palm*

Thanks for checking here.

Hello, dearest followers . I'm taking this time out of my new jammed schedule to promise you guys that I won't dump this piece (hopefully).

My school resumed like two weeks ago and registrations upon registrations haven't given me enough time to come down here.

So to you all, I owe you an apology but don't unfollow o .Since I could take time to type this, you should guess that I'm dropping an update anytime from now.

My namesake, harjibolar10, thanks to you too for staying around.
All of thou, KUMASIMIDA, SARANGHEAYO!

harjibolar10:
See who is advicing here ooo

He shouldn't be like me na

adegwurulez:
Started typing with a very low battery and i still beat it... hehe, feeling like a bad guy

Bad guy for where?

Well, I've missed plenty here o.
And why did Julian have to die? Awwww...It pain me o. But you have got hold on that sha.

And that Aaron guy is so not great anymore. Why is he so scared of Stella's reaction that he even went on to meet Falcon?

My dear writer, please ride on and don't be a lazy person ehn. I still gat ya back anytime

jezuzboi:
I"m feeling it big time.

The puzzles are well fixed.

So will Jeremy & Micheal be friends again?

I hope not o. And I'll ensure ade never lets them be too. If not ehn.....

Doughyeenbae:
Deola brought this upon herself.. my opinion... having two kids in quick succession.. no job and at such a young age...wah was she thinking?..
I pray she gets help fast.

You really think so?
I pray your prayer gets answered too o

harjibolar10:
Christy... Who will want to take in more than one liability at a time, ehn? So, it better you guys find solace wherever it is in this world, and give to your friend there at her husby house...

Tolu... Clara again!! ! Thou, I don't, for once believe you are been push to have that thing with lydia in the first place, now you've confirm and clear my doubt. .. You are such a jerck

Remmy.. . Rachel, I hope you wont be against your husband wish now oo, cos the faith of deola is solely on you now, as your go - ahead is what Remmy need, please don't object.. . And Remmy, please make your decision quick ooo

Mama Tolu.. . Now you know tolu has a problem abi. .. That's just a tip of the ice block jhoor. .. Expect more, whe Clara is introduce to the film

Kizzykeziah. .. Namesake me to gbasky, I don't really know what to write for you now, but.. . You know you have a great work doing here, abi?

Oya contunu, I will buy you. .. .. ... .. (fill in the gap)

Buy me what ehn??

labaski:
it is indeed getting hotter. Deola should at least get a life and make Tolu envy her.

I hope she takes your advice too.

The past tense of dust is still dust. The same way it goes for cast and burst. So I think 'dusted' which you used somewhere is wrong.

#stillaround

harjibolar10:
Chai... What kind of mother says that, to her own baby?
Lydia, I hope ya yeye mother-in-law was there, when you make that your yeye statement, and see who she has recognised as her daughter in-law, anyways, more is surely coming
Deola, 'omo oku orun' no worry, everything will gonna be alright.
Tolu, God will see you

Mothers like Lydia really exist, dear namesake.

Akposb:
Actions getting grimmer and realistic. Tolu is just a victim of indecisiveness but the truth is women mostly bear the brunt of such failures. Kids have a right to a good life but its kind of unfortunate that they end up most times in the hands of those who can't take care of them very well.
Lydia's case can just be described as a victim of a deal gone bust. I really hope Deola get a safe landing.

Lydia's deal indeed went bust and I so love your analysis, sir

kitnah:
Continue please

I have, sweetheart

Chioma123:
pls more updates and you are doing a fantastic job..................no more ghost mode

Promise about the ghost mode o

adeh39:
Chaii! Lydia! U see ur life? I shake my head for u o. U never see anything at all.

Tolu....... I don't even know wat to say....... I think he needs a lot of spanking on his buttocks.

Deola......... I hope God gives her the strength to survive this wahala o.

Kizzy..... Thanks for the updates...... expecting more....

Your punishment for Tolu would be duly met