[b] Bella laid her back on her seat and fixed her gaze at the TV strapped to the back of the front seat. It was on CNN.

"Bella, have you called your dad on phone?" Fiona asked.

"The last time I did, it didn't go through," she replied.

"Okay," Fiona said and fixed her gaze at the steering again. "I'll make sure that Blossom of yours gets expelled today," Fiona spoke out her thought unconsciously and Bella heard her.

Immediately after the assembly period, an emergency bell was rung. Everyone was to gather in the large school hall, a thousand capacity hall built not long ago.

Five seats were made to face the audience and were occupied by Blossom, Christie and three other girls. The three girls had some strange looks. They didn't belong to the MBC.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these five girls here are bunch of disgrace to themselves and their families. They were involved in a melee yesterday, after the school hour," Mrs Onyeka said. She was the head of the disciplinary committee of the school. She is blonde, with a bloodshot on her left eye. She had a gap between her upper central teeth as well as a 'birth mark' below her lower lip. Her eyes are large and scary like that of a tortoise.

"Here are their names; Christie Denis of MBC, Blossom Benson of MBC, Jenny Matthew, Lateefa Ahmed and Sarah Abraham all of St. Jones High School." The five students were asked to be on their feet. They didn't show any sign of remorse, all of them.

"Now, before we give them their punishment, we shall be inviting some witnesses here to tell us what exactly transpired before the melee. Bella Benson, you are up."

The hall roared to life as Bella stepped forward. The whole school had been regarding her in high esteem since she joined the music club and especially for the role she played in the revival of Miss Fiona's life.

"I am Bella, Bella...em..." she paused, contemplating whether she should mention her surname or not, since she was yet unsure of her real identity. She turned to look at Blossom. Their eyes met and she grinned. "I'm Bella Benson."

"Okay Bella, tell us what went wrong yesterday," said Mrs Onyeka.

"Well...as much as I know, these three girls suddenly came on me as I was taking my usual route toward the South Gate to take a taxi. They beat me to pulp, but suddenly from nowhere, Christie there came to my rescue," Bella said, pointing at Christie.

"Surprisingly, Christie beat them all up..." Bella was interrupted by some loud chants:

"Christie the warrior! Christie the warrior! Christie the warrior!" the students of the school yelled.

"Order!" Mrs Onyeka wailed. "Order or you will be made a scapegoat!" They all kept quiet. Bella continued:

"All of a sudden, Blossom there jumped out of the little bush close to the gate and strangled Christie..."

"Aww!" a loud sound of sympathy followed.

"Somehow, Christie managed to subdue Blossom, but then, the other three girls came on her again. Just then, the security officers intervened."

"Yes, that's it!" the woman said. "Now I call on the second witness."

John collected the microphone from Bella and spoke:

"I am John Michael," John said. "I was...accompanying Bella to the South Gate when three girls came from nowhere and took on her. I left immediately to fetch the security officers."

"Now we have heard the story from the mouths of the victim and witnesses; I think it is now time to hear from the mouths of the accused. One person can speak for the three non-student girls. Who speaks first?"

Christie came out to speak first:

"I am Christie Denis as y'all have heard before," she spoke in her usual tomboy style. "Bella was my friend and she still is. I was keeping watch over her from a distance when I saw these three girls beating her up. I had no choice than to defend her because they were certainly going to kill her. That I was doing when Blossom joined hand suddenly to fight me. Then the security officers came."

It was Blossom's turn to speak. Surprisingly, she burst into tears. She was following the exact instruction of Lucia her mother.

"This must be a setup," she said amidst tears, setting the whole auditorium in some kind of emotional display.

"Tell us what it is Blossom," Mrs Onyeka required.

"I'm Blossom, Blossom Benson. My sister and I were not in good term until last Friday morning when I asked her for forgiveness while she was leaving for school. She said she has accepted my apology and I was glad about it. Then I decided to come and pick her up from school after the school hour. Little did I know that Bella Benson hasn't actually forgiven me. She has actually connived with some girls to beat me up: these three girls from St. Jones High School and probably Christie. They were beating me up when the security people began to approach. Then they left me and began to pretend as if they were fighting one another..." Blossom burst into tears again.

"Aww!" the whole auditorium was lit with emotions.

Blossom faced shocked Bella with a teary face:

"Bella, but I told you to...to forgive me for...for what I...I did wrong," Blossom wept.

"Liar!" Bella was enraged.

Mrs Onyeka was amazed. The new development had confused her totally. Earlier, she had thought that Blossom was solely the one at fault, but she now had to wait for the last set of speakers to say their own part of the story.

"So, our friend from St. Jones what have you got to say?" she demanded. "Please let one person speak for you."

One of the girls stepped out.

"Honestly, I will say the truth and the truth alone right now because the innocent person must not suffer..."

"Your name please!" Mrs Onyeka denanded.

"Okay, I am Lateefa Ahmed as you've all heard earlier. We were going to our school Friday morning when Christie and Bella met us on the way to tell us that they would need us to help them deal with a colleague. We listened to them because they promised to pay us some currency after performing the task."

The whole hall roared.

"Quickly we made our plan; we shall all beat up Blossom and then when she won't have any strength left in her, we will send a boy to fetch the security officers. We did so perfectly as planned. Yes, that boy called John was also working for us. He was the one we sent to fetch the security officer after we have all successfully dealt with Blossom."

"What!" Mrs Onyeka was astonished. "Is that so?" she turned to the other two girls and they agreed to the claims of their colleague.

"This is serious!" Mrs Onyeka yelled. "Bella, if this is true you shan't escape it!"[/b]

[b] CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TRIPLE EXPULSION

Frank took his time to drive Bella back home in his car. At the gate, he instructed her on what to do:

"Just go straight to your room and sleep, okay?"

"Yes sir," Bella sniffed.

"Don't weep anymore Bella, everything will be alright."

"Thanks a lot sir," Bella said as she began to alight from the jeep.

Bella came to the door. It was locked. She clicked the doorbell and Mrs Lucia showed up. She opened the door and she got in.

"Bella, where have you been?" she said in a soft tone. Bella ignored her and hurried straight for her room. Mrs Lucia came close to her door, but she had locked herself in.

"Bella! Bella! Bella! Open the door! Open the door, I've got something to tell you!"

"I don't want to hear!" Bella replied.

Fiona was totally distraught by the adjective Blossom had used to qualify her:

"She called me a poverty-stricken teacher," Fiona sobbed. She had no strength to return home. She had resolved to stay behind in Frank's home; that would be her first night staying over in a guy's house.

"Fiona, you aren't poor, are you?"

"Of course I know why she called me such!" Fiona suddenly woke up into the reality.

"Why?" Frank asked.

"Because I've got no car," she replied. "I'm the only teacher in the whole of MBC without a car."

"But that's your fault, Fiona!" Frank exclaimed. "You rejected my car gift last month, didn't you?"

"I thought it was too early for you to do that, Frank. I--I don't want you to feel that I'm in love with you because of your wealth."

"Oh no, Fiona sweetie," Frank said. "You look special to me. You are my real missing bone Fiona."

Frank began to sing:

When I was born....one bone was left out of me; when she was born...she has just one bone; I never knew, I lived my life as though I was complete; she never knew; she lived her just like I do; But as time goes on. I began to realise...that I'm incomplete without her; I began to cry and long in my heart...for the bone of my bone everyday...

Frank soon had his guitar and began to play to the music he had composed a while ago, the night Fiona left him alone in the pastor's office and walked away.

"Awesome! You haven't played this to my hearing ever since our relationship started," Fiona said excitedly.

"That was because I was keeping it for our wedding day," Frank confessed. "But now you've heard it already."

"Good! I like it! It's awesome!" Fiona was happy. She wished to hear it over and over again, but Frank was not ready to give her more.

"You'll hear more of it on our wedding day; it's gonna be my special number."

"That'll be cool," Fiona said in excitement. Her mood had completely turned around.

"Fiona, you know something?"

"What?" she demanded hastily.

"You're picking Bella to school tomorrow."

"How?" she asked.

Bella got some knocks at her door in the morning. Reluctantly she replied, "Who's there?"

"Your mother," Mrs Lucia replied.

"You are not my mother," Bella replied. "Just...go."

"Bella, I'm sorry," she said. "I'll be dropping you off in school this morning."

"Thanks, I'm used to picking taxis. The best you can do is to drop my transport and feeding allowance."

"Bella, believe me I'm dropping you off in school, both Blossom and you. I'm sorry for everything."

"I'm not your daughter, so I don't think I need your help. Just drop anything you want me to have at the door. I don't want to see you no more till dad returns from Italy."

Lucia knew that Bella was hurt beyond measure. She just did as she requested, dropping some money at her door; twice the amount she had been given to her ever since her father travelled.

"Mum, let's go!" Blossom bleated. "What have you to do with that bastard?"

Bella heard Blossom's voice. She sniffed and shut her eyes in self pity.

The doorbell began to ring continuously ten minutes later. Bella was not certain who was at the door. She reluctantly got up from bed and made for the door. She found Fiona there.

"Bella! Aren't you dressed up for school?"

"I don't want to go to school anymore."

"Why not? I'm here to pick you up for school, Bella. Go get dressed up so you won't be late."

"But I know how to get to school myself if I wish to go, Miss Fiona. I have the phone numbers of the taxi drivers."

"Not anymore, Bella," she said. "I'll be picking you up in my car now."

"Your car? You now have a car?"

"Yes young lady. You may come and see it."

Bella was excited. She jumped out of the house. To her surprise it was Frank's jeep she found parked outside the house.

"That's Mr Frank's car?"

"Not anymore Bella," Miss Fiona smiled. "He gave it to me."

"But he just bought it three months ago."

"Of course!" Fiona said. "He shared the testimony in church back then. But now it's mine."

The jeep was bold and pretty. Frank bought it for over ten million naira back then. It had a silvery white colour that glistened in the sun. It had a very high speedometer reading.

"Yesterday, I thought he was going to let us ride in it to my home, but he used his official car instead. I'm glad I'll now be riding in it afterall."

"It's all yours Bella. Whatever is mine is yours too."

"Except Brother Frank," Bella said amusingly. They laughed.

"Miss Fiona, you are quite lucky to have this," Bella said.

"Thanks," she replied. "You can go have your bath right now Bella."

Bella took her bath in a rush and hasted to be in the car. She forgot to pick the money Lucia dropped at her door.[/b]

[b] Miss Fiona was hurt when she heard the news of Bella's attack by her sister. She would pay her a visit immediately.

Miss Fiona had been updated of the whole happening: how Blossom and Christie were suspended; how Bella was exonerated and how Blossom came with some non-student girls to beat up her sister; how Christie came in to help her and how John called in the security officers.

Fiona was angry with Blossom in absentia. She would get hot with her whenever she set her eyes on her.

Fiona got to Bella's home and gave the doorbell some furious clicks. Betty went to the door.

"Miss Fiona," she exclaimed. She got inside and yelled, "Where is that Blossom?" Blossom stepped into the parlour.

"Hello Miss Fiona," Blossom said, smiling.

"Where is Bella and what have you done to her?"

"Oh! Bella? Do you mean that bastard girl mum and dad picked from the waste bin? Didn't you meet her on your way? She's gone, probably to find out her real existence." Blossom began to laugh.

"What's all these gibberish about?" Miss Fiona was confused.

"That's the fact, Miss Fiona. You may consider going to search for her in the waste bin where she belongs," Blossom said, smiling.

"Shut up!" Miss Fiona yelled at her.

"You shut up, useless poverty-stricken teacher!" Blossom gave her back. Fiona was infuriated as she impulsively sent her right hand across her face. She landed a heavy slap on her right cheek. Blossom groaned in pain.

Mrs Lucia rushed into the parlour.

"What have you done to my daughter?" she shouted at her.

"S-she s-slapped me," Blossom said, sniffing in pain.

"What!" Mrs Lucia was enraged. "Fiona, how dare you?"

"I'm sorry Madam Lucia," Fiona pleaded. "Gerrara here!" she shouted at Fiona who was already making for the door. "Idiot!"

*** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***
Bella had gone to no two places other than Benjamin's house. He was the only person that could console her, since she wasn't aware of Miss Fiona's return yet.

"Your mother denied giving birth to you?"

"Yes," Bella said.

"And you swallowed the whold story hook and bait?"

"It sounds so real!" Bella sobbed.

"I dare not believe such cock and bull story."

"But it's obvious, Ben. Come to think of it, why do you think Mrs Lucia never supports me in anything but only Blossom? Why did she stop taking me in her car to school and from school? Of course she wouldn't do that if she is my mother. And why do you think she slashed my pocket money into half?"

Benjamin sighed. He had begun to see reasons in Bella's statements.

"So what are you going to do now?" Benjamin asked weakly.

"I will call my dad on phone. He must have something to say about the whole matter."

Bella's phone beeped. It was a Multimedia Message from Blossom. She listened to it, since it was an audio message:

I think I could just help you get your true identity. You belong to the refuse bin, because that was where mummy and daddy picked you up from and adopted you. Locate any refuse site, any slum nearby or far away. I think that will do as a natural habitat for you. Bastard!

Bella sobbed when she heard the voice of Blossom. Benjamin consoled her.

"Bella, don't mind her. She is only telling a lie."

"I don't think so," Bella replied. "Can't you see, I don't look like Mrs Lucia at all? All the other children are her carbon copies except me. So, it's obvious I'm not her daughter."

"Hmm," Benjamin took a deep breath as he also came to the realization of such fact. "It's true you don't look like Mrs Lucia."

"So, I...I am from the slum," Bella sobbed. "Why me? Why me?"

Benjamin plunged into a pensive mood. It was not certain what he was pondering upon. In the end, he said, "I don't believe in that waste bin story Blossom is trying to inculcate in you. You are definitely not picked from the slum, Bella."

"Why do you think so?" Bella looked straight into Benjamin's eyes with a surge of hope. "Tell me why?"

"Because you resemble somebody though."

"Who?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Your dad, Mr Benson!"

"I--I..." Bella was speechless as she wiped her tears. It was the truth. Many people had told her that earlier.

"So brace up Bella and ignore that cock and bull story that you were from the dustbin. Bella, as far as I am concerned, you are not a bastard!"

Frank came into the living room. He had been sleeping ever since he returned from the trip with Fiona.

"Bella, you are here?" Frank said.

"Y-yes sir," Bella stammered a reply.

"But it's late already!" Bella said. "This is 9pm! What's the matter?"

"Em...em..." Bella was stammering, but Benjamin came to her rescue.

"She's got a little problem in her home," Benjamin said.

"A problem? What's it all about?" Frank was anxious. Just then, Miss Fiona got in with tears.

"Fiona! What's it?" Frank was shocked.

"Bella Benson," Fiona called in tears. "So y-you are h-here."

"What's happening here?" Frank was confused. Fiona explained her part of the story and so did Bella in tears.

"This is serious!" Frank concluded.[/b]

Missmossy:
Chai!!!


This is too bad, Bella has really suffered. I pity her much. Thumbs up Sammy.

Thanks a lot.

[b] CHAPTER SIXTEEN

BOMBSHELL

When Bella got to school on Monday, she found John sitting on her seat, asleep. Bella tapped him gently and he thumped up.

"John, what are you doing on my seat?"

"Oh! This sleep!" John banged his lap and raised his face. "Bella, I am very sorry for everything that happened. Please do forgive me."

Bella pretended as though she didn't hear him, but in the real sense of it, she had forgiven him already.

"Just vacate my seat, that's all I want."

"Please," John said as he rose up. Bella hissed and sat down.

John was not feeling too convenient. He had known Bella to be very tender and forgiving, but her disposition just now was a shocker to him.

Bella expected to see Miss Fiona, but she didn't show up in school. All she wanted to share with her was the news of her courageous act. Miss Fiona would definitely be glad about it.

John was thrown into a very deep thought. Sleep had left his eyes. All he desired was a reconciliation with Bella. John had found a copy of Miss Fiona's poem to Frank in Bella's locker. He thought of making another poem out of it, which he would probably give to Bella as an apology.

During break period, Bella left for Miss Fiona's office to check her up. Then John started up with composing a poem, trying to use Miss Fiona's poem as a guideline. In less than five minute, he had already come up with something.

John went straight to Bella's seat and placed the paper on it. Bella arrived without seeing Miss Fiona. She was sad. As Bella was about to take her seat, she saw the paper and picked it up:

Be my egret and let me be your sparrow.
Oh my brunette! When will you end my sorrow?
With my soul filled with regret, I don't think I will ever be yellow.
But only if you can say APOLOGY ACCEPTED, BELLA.

When I weep, it is because my heart burns with fire.
Yet I can't but stay low in the quagmire.
If only I could fly into your heart as I desire.
Then I won't hesitate to whisper APOLOGY INTO IT, DEAR BELLA.

Bella was amazed after going through the poem. She was surprised that John could make something wonderful out of Miss Fiona's poem like that. However, she was careful not to show her satisfaction. Instead, she frowned and hissed allowed, giving John the impression that she wasn't impressed a bit.

John approached Bella the second time to say he was sorry for everything, but she told him to leave her alone.

"John, I gave it all to you, but instead you paid me back with distrust. How could you believe I wrote that thing on the board?"

"I'm sorry, Bella...just...just forgive me."

As soon as the bell rang for the closing hour, Bella left the class and began to make for home, but John followed her, begging. Bella was feeling like a celebrity deep down in her heart.

Bella took her usual lonely path because she would be leaving through the second gate as usual, since no one would be around to pick her home in a car. The second gate was always where students who would take a taxi home always went through, since no taxi would be allowed to wait in front of the main gate. As it appeared. Only ten to eleven students always took taxi home from school and unfortunately, Bella was one of them.

Bella was only about thirty metres away from the gate when three girls appeared from the little bush close by. They gripped her and began to beat her up. She yelled but they quickly covered her mouth and continued thumping her. With impulse, John rushed to her rescue, but he was easily yanked off. He ran away eventually.

Bella was pinned to the ground. She was helpless.

"Ha! ha! ha!" they laughed. "You think you've the gut to carry yourself like a celebrity in MBC? To hell with you!" one of the girl said as she gave her a punch on the face. She proceeded to give her another one, but a hand gripped her hand from behind. She turned to see who was on her and then she got a punch on the face. It was Christie.

The other two girls rushed at Christie, but she hurled them both to the ground with a kick. Christie went for Bella and pulled her up.

"I'm sorry Bella that I didn't show up on time," Christie said, smiling.

"Oh! Thanks a lot, Christie. I'm sorry for everything that happened. I didn't know the #500 was right there in my pocket. You didn't take it, I am sorry."

"Not again Bella," she said. "That is bygone, okay! You should be the one to forgive me for walking out on..." Christie was choked from behind.

"Blossom!" Bella cried.

"Ha! ha! ha!" Blossom laughed aloud, having tightened up Christie's neck. She was watching the happening from a bushy angle earlier. "Ha! ha! ha! Aaaarggh!" Blossom's laughter ended in a yell of agony as Christie drove her elbow into her stomach. She fell flat.

Christie gasped for air, coughing aloud. She had been seriously choked by Blossom. Just then, the three accomplices of Blossom came on her again. She had no power to face them this time around. They held her and began to thump her hard. Bella rushed to her rescue but she was yanked off easily. Just then, John arrived with some security personnels.

"Here they are!" John said, pointing at them.

"Stop that!" the security officers cried at them and everything came to a halt immediately.

All the students were taken to the school detentions as calls were made to their parents. The school proprietor had been informed of the happening. He had to rush down to the school immediately.

All the parents and guardians of the students concerned showed up in the school and were told to sign some undertakings. They all did. They would have to bring their wards to the school the next morning for the matter to be heard and then for their wards to be judged.
*** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***

Back at home, Blossom yelled at Bella:

"Bella, if I am expelled then consider yourself dead!"

"I shall not die but live!" Bella gave it back to her. "Blossom, you are a shame to your name! You are a shame to the Benson's family!"

"Shut up your dirty mouth, you bastard!" Blossom shouted at her. Just then, Lucia rushed in.

"Blossom! Did I hear you use that word?"

"Yes, mum! Isn't she a bastard for real?"

"Blossom, stop!" Lucia tried to cover her mouth, but she was already out of control.

"Bella, you are a bastard, go check that out, huh! Mrs Lucia Benson is not your mother!"

The words hit Bella hard. She was punchy. Bella faced Lucia who was already sobbing.

"Y-you are n-not my m-mother?" Bella stammered. Lucia was speechless. Bella went close to her and pulled her arm. "Tell me, aren't you my mother?"

Lucia nodded in the affirmative and sobbed. Bella stared at everyone as if she was seeing them for the first time. Even Betty and Binta were shocked to hear that Bella was not Lucia's daughter. They came to her to confirm their identity too:

"Are you my mother?" Betty asked. She nodded in approval.

"What about me? Am I your daughter?" Binta asked. She nodded a 'yes'. "And Baby?"

"Yes," she said.

"So, how come sister Bella isn't your daughter?" Binta asked softly.

"She is a bastard! Period!" Blossom yelled.

Bella rushed out of the house in shame.[/b]

[b] CHAPTER FIFTEEN
COURAGE

Bella knew what her home would look like. She was scared of going home after school, knowing quite well that her mother would criticise her for Blossom's suspension.

Bella wanted to confide in Miss Fiona, perhaps she could go home with her to speak with her mother, but she had left for home earlier. It was not usual of her to do that. Miss Fiona was the type who would prefer to stay in school one hour after school hour.

Bella thought she would go and see Frank instead.

"I think he is elderly enough to speak with my mother," Bella opined. It was a Friday.

Bella boarded a taxi and headed straight for Benjamin's home to see his brother. On getting there, she met only Benjamin at home.

"Bella!" Benjamin called in excitement.

"Where is brother Frank?" she demanded.

"He left home." he said. "Just now. Didn't his car pass by you?"

"I didn't notice it," Bella said.

Benjamin asked why Bella was looking lugubrious and she explained in details.

"Bella, I don't understand you at all!" Benjamin yelled. "You mean you need my brother to follow you to your house to plead on your behalf for your sister's suspension?"

"Yes, exactly," Bella spoke softly.

"You must be joking, Bella," Benjamin said, grinning.

"I'm serious."

Benjamin looked critically at Bella and said, "Thank God my brother isn't around. Even if he were to be around, I wouldn't let him move an inch let alone following you to your home to do any funny stuff."

"Eh, Ben, what are you saying?" Bella spoke wanely.

"You should be the one to demand an apology from your sister for implicating you and not you thinking of apologising for what you didn't do!" Benjamin spoke critically.

"Ben, I'm afraid it's not how you are saying it. I know my home, I know my sister and I know my mum. They won't take it lightly with me."

"Rather, it should be the other way round, Bella!" Benjamin replied.

Bella was shaking visibly. She was sure that Blossom would do a lot of things to frustrate her for being suspended.

"Ben, please can you follow me home? Please I beg you, just...just follow me home to plead on my behalf."

"Myself? Follow you home to do such nonsense stuff? Impossible!"

"Then I won't leave here!" Bella said and sank into the chair.

Benjamin looked at her and said, "I can see you are not like Cynthia. There's one thing she has that's still lacking in you, Bella."

"And what's that?" Bella asked.

"Courage!" he said. "You really lack courage; Bella, you lack the courage to face situations of life. You are too simple to face the reality and that's one thing I hate about you."

"So, Ben you now hate me, huh. Anyway, I'll be here until bro Frank returns. Then he'll surely follow me home."

Benjamin laughed.

"I guess you'll be here till Monday."

"Why?"

"Because my brother wouldn't be back till Monday," Benjamin said.

"Oh Gush!" Bella banged the table with her fist. "Then I'm going to Miss Fiona's home rightaway. She'll surely not hesitate to go with me."

Benjamin guffawed and Bella wondered why she was laughing about the serious issue.

"Are you laughing at me, Ben?"

"No, I was only laughing at your ignorance."

"How?"

"Miss Fiona travelled with Frank to our village. He's going to show them his fiancée.

"Oh! No wonder she left school early."

"They'll be back on Monday. Will you wait for them until they return?" Benjamin made fun.

"Ben! Stop!" Bella was furious.

"Well...Bella, just relax and feel at home. Stella will serve you to your taste while I go upstairs to rest. Stella!" Benjamin called and the housemaid rushed to the spot.

"Yes sir," she said.

"Serve Bella something nice. She'll be here till Monday."

"Stop all these!" Bella cried out loud. Ben rose to his feet and began to make for the staircase.

"Ben, are you leaving me here? Aren't you following me home?" Bella bleated, but Ben didn't pay attention to her. He was already at the staircase.

The housemaid asked Bella what she would like to eat:

"Madam, we get a lot of food here. Wetin you wan make I serve you?"

"Get lost?" Bella shouted amidst tears. She didn't know how she had the gut to yell like that. "I'm sorry for shouting at you madam. Just go," she said in a low tone of penitence as she bowed her head and sobbed.

Bella raised her head and gawped into her wristwatch. It was already 5:30pm. She was scared. Her parent must have been looking for her.

Bella made for the staircase immediately. She was going to force Benjamin to follow her home.

Bella stood right in front of Benjamin's door and thumped hard at it.

"Who is there?" a voice sounded from the interior.

"Bella," she said.

"Oh, Bella, you are still around? Have you been served by Stella?"

"Forget that, Ben. Just...just come out and let's go my home together."

"You must be kidding!" Benjamin sounded from the interior.

"Ben, I'm serious! You are the only one I have now. Please you have to come with me."

"Bella, you are disturbing my sleep. Just go!"

"Please Ben, please!" Bella pleaded. She began to bang the door when Benjamin didn't reply her anymore.

"Ben, I beg you in the name of the Almighty God, follow me home! It's getting too late."

"God knows I won't follow you," Benjamin sounded mean. "Just...just go, Bella! You are disturbing my sleep!"

"So, you mean you left me downstairs to sleep. I can't believe my ears."

Bella kept talking, but it seemed she was speaking to herself. At last she said, "Ben, if you won't follow me, then consider our friendship gone!"

"I don't give a damn!" Benjamin's voice sounded. "Go and face your sister. She is only your sister and not a god to be worshipped!"

Bella was surprised that Benjamin could actually shun her in such manner. She knew it would be useless to keep begging him, so she decided to take her leave.

I swear I'll have nothing to do with Benjamin henceforth, Bella thought. "I don't care if his Cynthia dies once more!" she said as she exited the house, banging the door furiously.

It was 6.00pm already. Bella adjourned to a phone booth to call her father. She had once written his number in a sheet of paper. Now she would call him and tell him all that happened and then instruct him to call home immediately.

Bella dialled her father's phone number but it didn't go through. She felt deserted by everyone. Now she knew she had to face the reality of life by herself. She took a taxi and off she went.

Bella got home around 7pm. The whole house was dull, except for Baby who was making some noise in the members parlour. Bella stepped in and went straight for her room. She was not sure if her mother had been looking for her or not.

Bella had a very deep sleep. She woke up at the middle of the night and then could not sleep anymore. Then she began to hear the voice of Blossom and her mother coming from the parlour.

"My daughter, Blossom, just keep calm okay. Three weeks will soon be over and you'll return to school."

"No mummy," Blossom argued. "Let me teach her a lesson she will not forget in her life."

"Blossom, you know what. The lesson we will teach her is simple. We will just simply ignore her, that's all. She will feel it more when ignored than when scolding her."

Bella was surprised that her mother was fast becoming a party to a plot against her. A surge of confidence engulfed her as she reached for the door and rushed out of her room immediately.

"Mummy, I can't believe you are plotting such thing against me!" Bella attacked her mother. She just hissed and looked away. "Mummy! mummy! mummy!" Bella called but she only left for her room without uttering a word.

"Bella, what gut have you to shout on my mummy in that way?" Blossom shouted at her.

"And what gut have you to challenge me?" Bella gave it back to her.

"Bella?" Blossom called out her name in shock.

"Blossom, what!" she replied.

"How dare you?" she yelled at her face.

"And how dare you too?" Bella replied her, pointing at her face.

Blossom raised her hand to slap Bella on the face, but she was fast enough to hold her wrist.

"Bella! Are you crazy?"

"I should ask you that instead!" Bella responded promptly.

Blossom looked straight into Bella's eyes for sometimes and didn't find a trace of cowardice in them anymore. Their two younger ones were awake already, except for Baby. They were surprised to see their sisters in such scenario.

"What's going on here?" Binta asked, facing Blossom, while Betty also asked the same question from Bella. Blossom left for her room without uttering a speech. As for Bella, her eyes were clear of sleep. She sat down on the sofa in anger.

"Not anymore!" she said. She was overwhelmed with confidence.

The next morning, Lucia would go for shopping. She found Bella lying partially asleep in the parlour. Bella woke up when she saw her.

"Good morning mum," Bella said. She did as though she didn't hear any sound as she made for the door. "Mum, I'm greeting you."

"Eh, just pocket your greeting!" Lucia shouted at her and hissed.

"What have I done wrong?" Bella challenged her.

"Have you apologised to your sister for getting her suspended?"

"I owe that shameless sister no apology!" Bella spoke aloud. "She was trying to implicate me and then ran into trouble herself. I think that's good for her. She should be the one to apologise to me, not myself apologising to her."

"Bella, you are changing," the woman said with a smile. "She's your elder sister, I hope you know."

"I disagree!" Bella replied. "She's been to me my closest enemy since dad left for Italy. How I wish I never had an elder sister."

Lucia remained a little while, observing Bella. Then she began to make for the door.

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

Benjamin was stretching and yawning after a long night sleep which had stretched into the afternoon. It was 12 noon already. Benjamin had only been awakened by the repeated sound of the doorbell.

"Stella! Stella! Go and check who is at the door!" Benjamin kept on saying as the doorbell persisted. Eventually he rose up and went to check it out himself.

From the door vantage point, Benjamin saw Bella standing at the door. He opened for her. To his surprise, Bella hugged him.

"W-what is it?" he stammered.

"It worked," Bella said excitedly as she disentangled. "I went straight for them; my sister and my mum."

"And how did it go?"

"They gave in," Bella spoke enthusiastically. "Mother confessed that I am changing."

"Tell me more!" Benjamin said as he led her in. She sat confidently on the sofa, smiling. "We are going to celebrate this together."

"Yeah, good idea!" Bella exclaimed. Benjamin went for a non-alcoholic wine, a Nebuchadnezzar his elder brother had been keeping in the house for a long time.

"We are popping this," Benjamin said as he carried the 15-litre bottle carefully like a baby.

"What!" Bella screamed. She hadn't seen a wine bottle as big as that before.

"Oh! Is it too big? I guess no. Frank bought this from Faroe Island six months ago. It's a Nebuchadnezzar. He'll be going for a Solomon next time he is on leave."

Benjamin poured some wine into the bottles. They lifted their bottles and clinked them as they drank to a toast:

"To courage!" they said together and filled their gullets with the liquor. Just then, Stella suddenly burst in.

"Wetin you people dey drink!" she yelled.

"Wine of course, as you can see."

"Ah! Oga Frank say make I no allow you touch am!"

"Well...I have touched it already, what will you do? By the way, where were you when I was calling you?"

"Oga Ben, I dey do labour inside toilet that time," she said in her Calabar intonation. The two kids laughed. They knew what she meant.[/b]

Missmossy:
Serves her right

You are doing a wonderful job Sammy, keep it coming.

Thanks.

The name is as familiar to me as my own name, but I didn't get to know you in person or be in close touch with you electronically while you were alive, but with some of your posts I just went through, I discovered you are a

Peaceful
Soul,
Always
Loving to
Make
Wise,
Intelligent and
Sweet
E-comments

R.I.P my namesake.

[b] CHAPTER FOURTEEN

FREEDOM FOR BELLA BENSON

Blossom was awaiting just one thing as she sat down gently in her classroom. It was still break period and she was expecting someone to come and tell her that Bella had been expelled.

Blossom would be the happiest thing on earth of her wishes came to pass. She won't have any regret that Bella was expelled.

"Didn't I tell her to quit the music club? She refused to do so and now she will be having her fair share," Blossom mused gladly. "I hate her!"

Blossom had sent her close friend, a partner in doing evil, to hang around in the courtyard so that she could come over to tell her what had transpired over there.

Blossom smiled when she saw Glory approaching.

"How did it go?" she asked enthusiastically when she set her eyes on her accomplice.

"Blossom, they are coming for you now."

"Who?" she asked hurriedly.

"The members of the panel," Glory whispered. "They are here."

"For what?" Blossom asked hurriedly. She was scared. Just then two ladies walked into the classroom.

"Attention here! Who is Blossom in this class?" they asked. The class was silent. "Is there no Blossom in here?"

"Here she is," Glory pointed at her. "B-Blossom, please follow them," she whispered to her friend. Glory had to do that because she was always a coward. She feared that the panel could suspend everyone in their class if Blossom wasn't pointed out on time.

"So...you are the Blossom," said the ladies. "Why were you keeping silent? Anyway, just go with us because you have a case to answer in the panel."

"Me? A c-case?" she stuttered.

As Blossom stepped in, Bella's heart melted like ice. She was not happy about the turnout of event.

"So, Blossom Benson, sister to the accused, Christie here has accused you of writing that thing on the board in your sister's class. Guilty or not guilty."

Blossom was shocked to the extreme. She gasped for air for some seconds before saying a word.

"I don't understand," Bella said.

"Bella, I saw you writing that stuff on the board in Bella's classroom. Deny it and I'll kick your ass off!" Christie spoke out of anger, but she was shunned by the members of the panel for using a vulgar word.

"I'm sorry for using that word," Christie apologized. "But sincerely I saw her writing that stuff."

"Christie are you crazy?" Blossom yelled at her. "Why would I want to do such thing to my sister? Bella, can I do such thing to you?" she asked, facing Bella herself.

Bella was speechless.

"You see, Bella herself knew it isn't possible for me to do that. Christie, why can't you just keep your nose off things that doesn't concern you?" Blossom yelled at her. "I love my sister and I can't do anything to hurt her."

"Shut up, liar!" Christie yelled. "Who made me part ways with Bella? Weren't you the person? Now you are here telling me that you love her. I guess that kind of stuff is exactly what you wanted to achieve by sowing discord between Bella and John too!"

"You must be joking, Christie!" Blossom yelled at her.

The panel had to call for order. When it was achieved, they said, "Christie, you don't have sufficient evidence to prove to us that Blossom wrote that stuff. Therefore we are letting her go."

"But sirs, Blossom Benson is guilty. I saw her with my two eyes; my two naked eyes. She wrote it there."

"How do we believe that?" they said and grinned.

"Any other witness who was with you when you saw her?"

"I was alone ma," Christie said.

"Then you have nothing to prove," the woman said. "So, I guess Blossom Benson can go back. She has no case to answer, or what do you think?" the lady asked the other committee members.

"Yes, she can take her leave."

Blossom smiled. Then she looked straight into Christie's face, eyeball to eyeball and whispered, "Big loser!"

"That's what you are!" Christie screamed at her. Blossom smiled and began to walk away. She was just at the exit door, about to step out of the courtroom, when she heard, "Blossom, come back here!"

Blossom was shocked to the bone marrow when she heard the call.

"W-what again?" she stammered.

"You have a big case to answer here," one of the committee members replied, staring at a huge smartphone in his grip.

Blossom began to walk back to the panel with heavy steps buried in ambivalence. She was sweating visibly as she expected the worst.

"I-I am h-here," Blossom stammered.

"Look at this and tell us who's in this video," they demanded. Blossom saw herself writing the statement on the whiteboard with a blue permanent marker:

John is the most useless thing I have ever met. Even a pig is better off than that sleepy-head.

Blossom's mouth went wide agape. She had nothing to say. She had been caught offguard.

"I told you I will get you Blossom! I recorded that stuff with my 50 megapixel Samsung Galaxy Android..."

"Phone?" one of the members of the committee thumped up suddenly. "Christie, you brought a phone to school?"

Christie's eyeballs roamed about in their sockets. She knew she wouldn't go scot-free too.

"I--I..." she stammered. "I am sorry."

"Of course you won't get your phone back," said the lady among the committee.

"And you are straightaway given a week suspension, Christie, for bringing a phone to school against the law of the school authority."

A week suspension was always the verdict for a student who was caught with a handset. Christie braced up and took up the verdict.

"No problem," she whispered to herself as she awaited the judgment to be meted out on her adversary.

"Blossom Benson, with the video evidence here, it is now clear that you are the one who painstakingly wrote that statement on the whiteboard, all in the name of implicating your sister who is the original owner of the writing you forged. Without delay, and having arrived at a point with the rest of the members of this committee, you are hereby given a three-week suspension."

Christie yelled in excitement. Blossom wept.[/b]

Pukka36:
Yes! It will be a perfect gift

I need four more responses before writing the next update, as whatever the decisions you make will determine how the update would look like. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

[b] CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BELLA AND THE PANEL

Bella didn't escape the school panel. She stood right before a committee of five to plead 'not guilty' to the case she was condemned of.

"I swear, I know nothing about the write-up," Bella said.

"But it is obviously your handwriting," they said.

"Maybe somebody else forged it," she protested. They grinned.

John was called upon to speak about the matter.

"Bella has been teaching me music rudiments for almost two weeks now," John said. "Then, just a day before the handwriting on the board, she got tired of me and told me to my face to go and find my talent elsewhere. Then she decided to put up that write-up about me."

"Did you do anything to offend her?" they asked John.

"Not at all," he replied.

One of the panel members faced Bella and said, "You can see that evidently, you did write that thing on the board; first it was your handwriting; second, you quarrelled with him a day before the write-up came up."

"I didn't quarrel with him," Bella responded. "I only felt that John wouldn't be good for the music club and I told him that politely."

"Alright, Bella, do you think anyone in this school might have forged your handwriting?"

"I don't suspect anybody," she said.

"Then it's definitely you and you will be facing the risk of being expelled or in the least, suspended."

"And that would be a case of mistaken identity because I know nothing about it," Bella replied. Tears soon began to jostle their ways out of her eyes.

Somebody came to tell the panel that a witness was available.

"For or against the accused," they asked.

"I don't know," the reporter said. "Let me go and ask her."

"Don't bother, just let her in," they ordered.

Few minutes later, Christie began to make her way into the school courtroom. She was walking in her usual tomboy manner. When Bella saw her, she nearly collapsed.

"I am a witness," Christie said with a critical face. Bella's heart thumped faster and harder. She was sure that the whole thing was a total setup possibly engendered by Christie herself.

"For or against the accused," they asked. A brief period of silence engulfed the atmosphere. Bella was looking away. She was expecting nothing good from Christie who had earlier picked an offence with her.

"A witness against the accused," Christie's voice sounded at last. It was only the imagination of Bella's heart.

"In support of the accused," Christie spoke for real. Bella turned her face towards her. She didn't believe it.

"So...what do you have to say?"

"Bella, as we all know, is a very good girl. She couldn't have done this thing that she is accused of doing. Right from the day one of my meeting with Bella Benson, I felt I had met an angel. She is so meek, honest, gentle and easygoing."

"Is that all you've got?" they asked her.

"No, that isn't all," Christie said. "Bella related with me, even though she knew how everyone speaks ill of me. She didn't relate with me with hearsays. She took her time to please me while our relationship lasted. Bella wouldn't hurt a fly. She is too clean to do that thing she is accused of."

"Young lady, we are not here for stories; everybody else have stories to tell, so tell us something else."

Christie faced John and looked him in the eyes as she said, "Now, John can you look straight into Bella's face and accuse her of writing that maligning stuff on the board about you?"

"Em...em..." John couldn't speak. He looked straight into Bella's face and then began to shed tears.

"I...I can't really say," John concluded at last. All the memories of his wonderful moments with Bella had just resurfaced in his brain. Bella had given it all to him while their relationship lasted.

John recalled the day that Bella told him that she believed he would do good in life, despite his drowsy condition. That day, a schoolmate just got into a scoffle with him and called him a ssleepy-head and a good-for-nothing pig. John shed tears and then confided in Bella.

John, everybody has got some weaknesses, but looking away from them is the strength of such individual. When you ignore your weaknesses, you will discover how strong you are. John, look deep inside of yourself, there's something you haven't really tapped into. It is lying over there at the corner of your heart. It is in you. That's what will take you to your highest point in life. You are not a useless fellow! You are not a pig!

John couldn't withstand Bella's presence anymore. He rushed out of the courtroom in tears, feeling like a betrayer.

"So, young lady, you have just concluded setting up emotions here, but I bet you, those analyses of yours wouldn't suffice to vindicate the accused. We need real evidence."

"I have it here," Christie said without blinking a bit. Bella raised her brows in suspense.[/b]

LaJose78:
Nice story oga sammyhoe, bt no let dis one be like EBIAG o. Make sure u finish am pls.

okay

aduragbemisteve:
i shall surely follow suit like some faithful followers following this great story

As for WE ARE ABLE.....i was moved to tears ,and i can see you building the "emotion-drawer" in this story too..

Thanks a lot.

kwencypresh:
she is too emotional Allowing her wicked sister to run her life

hmm, so true.

kwencypresh:
Am beginning to dislike Bella

why are you disliking Bella?

[b] CHAPTER TWELVE

THE MUSICAL CONCERT

The day after Bella's acceptance to quit music was a Sunday. The musical concert would hold the same day. Bella was contemplating whether or not to attend the church service that day.

"Blossom, can I attend the church service? I think I shouldn't, since I am not going to participate in the concert."

Blossom smiled.

"You may attend and then leave before the commencement of the concert," Blossom advised.

"Okay, that will be good," Bella concurred.

Bella knew that Benjamin would feel very bad about such development. She wondered how he would be able to perform well in the concert without her.

Bella put on a pink dress and her shiny shoes, with a well designed hat to match. She tightened her belt around her waist as she got ready for the church service.

Since becoming friends, Bella had been sitting side by side with Benjamin on every church service day, but she made up her mind to sit close to Blossom again now. The choir would not function until the time for the musical concert, which would come up immediately after the service proper.

Benjamin felt uncomfortable without Bella beside him. He was occupied with the thought that he must have offended her.

Why is Bella not here? he thought aloud. While the service was on, Benjamin was busy occupying his brain with the remembrance of his last meeting with Bella, which was two days back:

"Bella, you aren't looking too well," Benjamin said.

"Mmm," Bella just replied over her nose. "Something happened in school today."

"What's it?" Benjamin demanded.

"I don't want to go into that matter," she said.

Benjamin badgered her to tell him what happened. At last she did:

"I lost a friend."

"How?" Benjamin demanded. "How did you lose her? She said she doesn't want your friendship anymore?"

Bella smiled.

"Not a 'she' but a 'he'." Bella looked at Benjamin's face. His countenance had changed to something very sad. "What? Do you have any problem with me having a 'he' friend?"

"Yes, Bella!" Benjamin said in a serious tone of voice. "I thought it was supposed to be only me and you."

"What!" Bella screamed. She was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I thought I am your only boyfriend."

Bella began to laugh.

"You must be joking, right."

"It's no joke!" Benjamin sounded serious.

"What do you mean, Ben?" Bella looked straight into his eyes. "I am not your girlfriend okay? And I have no boyfriend for your information. I thought this was supposed to be a brother and sister thing! Or the Cynthia you are talking about is your girlfriend?"

Bella's face was made into an angry thing. She hated the idea of keeping a boyfriend in her very tender age. Eventually, Benjamin burst into laughter.

"It's no laughing matter," Bella replied angrily.

"I'm sorry I was only joking," he said with a smile.

"That was an expensive joke. I don't like it."

"I'm sorry Bella," Benjamin said and held her arm.

"Leave me alone," Bella said and pulled her arm away. "I'm beginning to be scared of you."

The rest of the day went awry. Benjamin began to regret his actions when Bella didn't come back to her normal self throughout the day.

In the actual sense, Benjamin would prefer having Bella as a sister rather than a girlfriend, because he was of the consciousness that girlfriends are temporary but sisters last forever. He would prefer to have Bella beside him forever and not temporarily.

As soon as the church service was ended, all the choir members proceeded to the church dressing rooms to change to their uniforms. For Bella, it was time to leave for home.

"Sister, I'm off," Bella told Blossom as she began to leave.

"That's fine," Blossom said. "Hope you have your keys with you."

"Yes I do," Bella said. "Thanks and goodbye."

No sooner than Bella left than Benjamin arrived at Blossom's seat.

"Where is Bella?" he demanded.

Blossom kept quiet.

"Excuse me please, where is Bella?" Benjamin asked with a more deeper voice.

"Not even a 'hi' and you expect me to reply you?"

"I'm very sorry, Blossom," Benjamin pleaded. Benjamin had been informed of Blossom's bad character while she was in the choir. However, when he asked Bella about it, she insisted that her sister was a good person.

"Keep your sorry to yourself guy," Blossom said as she sized him up and dressed him down with her eyeballs. "So, tell me, is Bella your girlfriend?"

"Hmm, n-no..."

"So tell me why you are looking for my sis," she demanded critically.

"Actually, I haven't seen her today in church. I hope she would be performing in the concert."

"Must you see her?" Blossom yelled at him. "Anyway, Bella is sick at home at the moment. She wouldn't be singing today."

It sounded like a gunshot to Benjamin. It was quite incredible.

"Bella won't be singing today?"

"You heard me, young man."

"That's terrible!" Benjamin exclaimed. He began to walk away.

Blossom smiled secretly.

"That serves them right."

Benjamin was unsure whether he would be upstage to perform too. Emotionally and morally, he was no more fit to perform as well. The two of them were to perform as the lead singers in the concert, so it would be impossible for any one of them to be missing out.

The announcers had called all the youth choir members to be at the back of the control post to put on their costumes. Benjamin just hissed at the announcement as he walked towards the exit door.

"So Bella fell sick because of what happened between us on Friday? This is quite incredible!"

Benjamin was contemplating on paying her a visit at home. He had been there once, so he knew how to get there.

Bella was about to take a taxi home when she remembered that her bible was not with her. She doubted if Blossom would notice it and help her to bring it home.

"I doubt if she would help me bring it home," she whispered.

The taxi driver peeped through the window and demanded, "Where to, young lady?"

"Just go sir, I'm not going anymore. I'm sorry," Bella said.

The taxi driver hissed and then zoomed off in annoyance.

Miss Fiona was excited. She would be proud of seeing Bella take the lead role alongside her brother-in-law to be. She sat down gently to watch them mount the podium in their radiant pink dresses for the ladies and for the boys, pink top and black trousers.

One after the other, the choir members matched to the stage and took their positions, but Bella and Benjamin were missing out. They were supposed to be standing right in front of the two big microphones far ahead of others.

"Where are these kids?" Fiona asked, flabbergasted.

Bella and Benjamin suddenly ran into each other at the church door.

"Bella!" Benjamin yelled in shock. As soon as she saw him, she turned back and began to leave. Benjamin hurried after her and caught up with her by the roadside, outside the church premises.

"Bella, what's wrong? I thought you are sick!"

"I'm not sick! Where did you hear that from?" Bella replied harshly.

"Your sister told me," Benjamin said. "Bella, it's time for the concert, aren't you singing?"

"Yes I am not," Bella said.

"Bella, please you have to sing or else things will go awry today. Are you doing all these because of what happened on Friday?"

"What happened on Friday?" Bella asked.

"That I called you my girlfriend," Benjamin reminded her. "I'm sure that's why you are doing all these. Please do forgive me!"

Bella grinned.

"Oh! That! No!" she replied. "It didn't bother me, Ben."

It did," Benjamin argued. "If it didn't, why then did you not sit beside me in church today?"

"Because I chose not to do so Ben," Bella replied. "Remember I have a sister, a biological one for that matter. I don't see anything wrong in sitting with her sometimes."

"Oh, now I gerrit. She told you not to sing, right!"

"Exactly!" Bella said. "I have to obey her so that I can keep her as a sister, else I will lose her."

"Funny," Benjamin said with mouth wide agape. "Must you allow your own sister to cow you? Bella, listen to me, you should be responsible for your own decisions, not someone else choosing for you. Look at me, Frank can't choose what I do, despite the fact that he is about twelve years older than I. How much more Blossom who is only barely two years older than you are?"

"Well...that's your own family setting, Ben. I have my own family setting quite different from yours. So, Ben, let me just be."

Ben was short of words. All the while he had taken Bella as a sister, but she had just made the difference with her speech.

"So, Bella, you aren't my sister anymore. Then you are a murderer," Benjamin said in a low tone.

"How?" Bella was taken aback by his speech.

"You ressurrected my dead sister Cynthia and now you're going to murder her again. If you leave music then the Cynthia I know will have to die again. Then where do you want me to be? I will be dead too, because my talent would fall back dead like it was before she discovered it."

Bella stood before him, speechless as she looked at him without uttering a speech...

Fiona had adjourned to Blossom's seat when she didn't see Bella upstage. It was five minutes already since the stage was set for the commencement of the concert. However, the absence of Bella and Benjamin wouldn't make them start. Without the two lead singers, the concert might not take place.

"Where is Bella?" Miss Fiona demanded critically.

"She left after the church service," Blossom said gladly. "I have convinced her to pull out of music and guess what...she succumbed, ha, ha, ha," Blossom laughed.

"Shut it Blossom!" Miss Fiona got angry with her. "And you think that's fun! Do you realise that this musical concert isn't gonna start without her?"

"Why not?" Blossom asked. "I thought there were backup singers."

"None!" Miss Fiona said. "Frank told me none! Blossom if this concert doesn't go well, you are responsible for this. Just know that, eh!"

"As if I care," Blossom replied and laughed.

Miss Fiona looked ahead again. The choir members were shaking visibly. Frank the choirmaster was running from pillar to post. He was supposed to handle one of the pianos. He could not have his seat. The bishop had called him to ask what was going on.

"Young lady, you are a devil!" Miss Fiona challenged Blossom.

"I don't give a heck," she replied as she sat, cross-legged, smiling.

Suddenly, a voice took over the whole auditorium:

"We have seven great songs to render today. The following are the titles of our songs: Wonderful God by Sammy O.
Step by Step by Sammy O.
Enter In by Alfred Lawrence
Acapella Mixture, Tabernacle Worship by Don Howard, The Life Journey by Pamela Grace and Hallelujah by the church choir. As you listen, may you be blessed in Jesus name!"

It was a shocker to Fiona. The voice was definitely Benjamin's voice but he wasn't visible on the podium. To her surprise, Bella's voice came up too.

"Won-derful God, Ho-ly God. I will Praise your name, All the time. You are the God that is wonderful. Wonderful God, I'll praise your name...

"Bella?" Blossom and Fiona yelled simultaneously. Just then, Bella and Benjamin began to emerge from the back of the control post, each having a wireless microphone.

Everyone clapped as they emerged. They thought it was a nice concept. The whole hall was electrified. Luckily, for Bella, she was already on a pink dress which matched the uniforms of the choir members, but Benjamin was on black all through. However, he had hung his pink shirt on his right shoulder, which was still a sign of identity with the rest of the choir members.

Blossom was enraged. She picked up her bag and began to take her leave as soon as the concert commenced. Fiona laughed.[/b]

Next...chapter 12

[b]

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BELLA'S TRIALS

All the while, Bella and Benjamin had consolidated their friendship, such that one could not do without the other.

Benjamin had found her sister's incarnate in Bella such that he eventually opened up to her.

"Bella, honestly, your sight is helping me keep my sister Cynthia alive."

Benjamin told Bella a lot about Cynthia. Actually, her character fitted that of Bella.

"She wouldn't even hurt a fly," Benjamin said.

"But I do hurt flies," Bella replied as she clapped her hands against a little flying fly buzzing around her eyes. "So I am no Cynthia of yours," she made fun. Benjamin laughed.

Fiona and Frank entered.

"You two are still here," Fiona said. "I wonder what you are doing."

"Romeo and Juliet stuff of course," Frank replied teasingly.

"Wrong big brother," Benjamin said. "We are doing the brother and sister stuff...you know what I'm saying," he winked.

Fiona told Bella it was time to leave, but Benjamin never wanted that.

"Miss Fiona, you can go. Bella will find her way back home, later."

"But I came with her," Fiona said. "I'll have to go with her."

"Bella will take care of herself," Benjamin suggested.

Bella spoke for herself eventually:

"Ben, let me go with her. I'll see you at the rehearsal in the church tomorrow," Bella said. Benjamin felt sad. He would miss her. Bella gave him a hug and waved goodbye.

Frank gave them a lift in his jeep.

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

Bella and Benjamin were to do the lead in the upcoming Musical Concert for the church 10th year anniversary. They had been deemed fit by the choir master of the church to do it.

Benjamin and Bella had been practising very hard for it. They believed it would be a huge success.

Bella had thrown stage fright or its likes behind her. She wasn't shy anymore to face the crowd, thanks to Mr Tony who helped her overcome such with enough motivations.

Bella had been doing fine in the school music club too. Mrs Dorcas had taken personal interest in her. Bella had found her sister, Blossom, a liar. She wasn't the leader of the school music club as she purported.

Blossom had begun to skip music rehearsals since the induction of Bella into the system. She was jealous that more attention was paid on her sister who was new into the system than herself.

Blossom would go to any length to make her pull out from the music club. She had somehow found out the home address of Miss Fiona. She went for her.

Bella thumped hard at the door of Miss Fiona's flat.

"Bella can't be in the music club," Blossom said.

"Says who?" Miss Fiona replied.

"Says..." Blossom paused. "Me!" Her face was almost making contact with Miss Fiona's. She was just so rude and fearless.

"Blossom or what do you say you are? You lack respect!" Miss Fiona bawled.

"You can say anything, but all I know is Bella can't be there! Period!"

Blossom went for the door and left the room. She banged the door closed.

Miss Fiona was shocked.

"What a gut she's got!" she sighed.

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

John's voice was not good for music. It sounded like the croaks of a frog. Mrs Dorcas thought he would not make any impact in the music club, someone who was always in the 'sleeping mode' almost all the time.

"John, I am sorry you won't fit in here," Mrs Dorcas said. "Maybe you should try out other things, like dancing, swimming, painting, writing--anything else. Just try out something else, not music."

John was sad. He would now remain the only one whose talent hadn't been discovered in the whole of JSS 3. Bella was his companion in that earlier, until in recent time she discovered her.

John had tried out footballing but had failed woefully. When he participated in the swimming competition while in the swimming club, he sank while occupying the last position in the race. It took the help of some fast divers to rescue him. John had also participated in the Spelling Genius Competition too. His 'losing word' was the word 'lose' itself. He spelt it as 'loose' and then lost out immediately.

To say that John was a good painter would tantamount to saying that a vulture is a beautiful creature. The picture he painted in the last painting competition was rated 5 on a scale of 100. It was so terrible that the drawing book itself would prefer to remain void rather than having John's horrible artwork in it.

John sobbed out of Mrs Dorcas' office when she told him point-blank that he should find his talent elsewhere.

"Where else do I go?" he thought. In the actual sense, John was a happy-go-lucky person who would not have cared about looking out for any talent. He only needed to discover one, so as to avoid Mr Tony's perpetual disturbances of trying him out in one thing or the other week in week out.

John thought Bella could do it.

"I'll go to Bella, the miracle worker," he said to himself and began to search for her. "If Bella Benson could raise the dead, how much more helping me fetch out my darn talent?" he opined.

John met Bella and presented his wish before her.

"Please, Bella, you can do it," John said. "You woke Miss Fiona from the dead, how much more helping me to find my voice? I love music! I wanna be in the music club!"

"John, do I look like God? Only God can raise people from the dead. I know nothing about music, John, except the little trainings I got from the church and the music club."

"Then, just...just teach me the little you know," John said. "It will suffice."

"Really!" Bella was surprised that John could stoop so low to demand such from her.

John nodded in the affirmative. Bella began to teach John the little she knew about voice training.

"All these things are weird!" John spoke. "Must I always take warm water? I don't like that."

"Then your voice can't improve," Bella told him.

One thing Bella discovered about John was that he couldn't stay awake for as long as 15 minutes. She had to tap him several times to keep him awake.

While John was undergoing some tutelage under Bella, his character had begun to take a new shape, just like Christie's. John no more exhibit pride and arrogance in his dealings with people. However, his voice remained unchanged. He was completely not favoured to be a singer.

"Why not try out something else?" Bella advised him later, after a week without improvement.

"Like what? Sleeping competition?" John spoke in a serious tone of voice. "Maybe I'll just go for that if there's anything like that."

John's eyes were already beclouded with tears, ready to drop.

"I'm sorry," Bella said as John began to take his leave.

Blossom had been watching the close relationship between Bella and John in recent times and she was bent on putting a stop to it, same way she did with Christie.

"Yes, I have an idea," Blossom said after spending a lot of time thinking.

Bella was surprised when she found some write-ups on the marker board in her class. It was written exactly in her handwriting:

John is the most useless thing I have ever met. Even a pig is better off than that sleepy-head.

The class was already set afire before Bella arrived. John bobbed his head in shame and betrayal of trust. It was unimaginable that Bella could do such a thing to him.

Bella was challenged by some of the students in the class.

"Bella, why did you write such a thing?" they queried him.

"I didn't," Bella protested.

"But here's your handwriting," they argued.

"I didn't write it," she complained on and on.

Bella knew there was no way out of the impending trouble. In every sense, the handwriting looked very much like hers.

The case was reported to the disciplinary committee of the school. Bella would have to face the risk of expulsion, or at least suspension.

"Bella, why must you make fun of me?" John challenged her in tears. "Haven't I apologised for calling you a housemaid in the car that day? Now you think the best thing to do is to disgrace me publicly, just to revenge? I regret ever making friend with you!"

Bella's lips shook. She didn't believe that John could believe that she did such a thing.

"John, do you believe this too?"

"A capital YES!" John yelled. "Just yesterday you told me to my face that I should find my talent somewhere else, then today we have this."

Bella gaped at him in disbelief.

It was a very painful thing for Bella to ponder, the thought that he had lost two new friends within a week.

When Miss Fiona heard the case, she didn't believe it.

"Are you sure it isn't the making of your sister?" she said without blinking an eye.

"Blossom?" Bella exclaimed. She began to see reasons in what Miss Fiona had just said. "But could this be true? I mean Blossom's handwriting is quite different from mine!"

"Yes it is very possible," she maintained. "She could have learnt and forged it."

"I don't think my sister can do such a thing to me," Bella grinned. She didn't want Miss Fiona to see her sister as a bad person.

"You don't think so?"

"Yes...I mean it is not just possible."

"It is Bella. You know your sister doesn't want you to join the church choir, as well as the music club. She isn't happy you joined, is she?" Miss Fiona smiled.

Bella now knew how serious Blossom was bent on getting her into troubles if she didn't quit music. Already she was convinced that Blossom knew something about it all: how Christie became her enemy and how the handwriting got to the board.

"I have to just beg her," she concluded.

Bella knocked at Blossom's door at the cool of the evening. She opened the door.

"Hi sister," Bella greeted.

"Hi," Blossom said and turned her eyes away from her.

"I...I don't know maybe we can fix things. Please let's be friends instead of enemies."

"Friends? Ain't we friends already? Definitely we aren't enemies, are we?"

"No, Blossom, just that your attitudes towards me have changed drastically these days. Now you hardly talk to me..."

"That was because I felt you are already getting matured. You think you could face life challenges yourself without help, so I let you. You now carry yourself like a celebrity, isn't it? So Bella, I just thought I should let you. You joined the church choir, didn't you? You think I was giving you a wrong advice by telling you not to join, huh. You proceeded to the school music club against my wish. So, go ahead, live life all by yourself."

Blossom began to shed crocodile tears. Bella was touched. She had always been emotional. She quickly held her sister and patted her back.

"Okay...okay I am sorry," Bella said. "You want me to quit?"

"Yeah, Bella, quit."

"If that's what you want, then I quit!" Bella said, sacrificing her ambitions for her sister's happiness. "Are we friends now?"

"Yes we are," Blossom said, wiping her tearful eyes. Bella hugged her passionately.

When Bella left the room, Blossom burst into laughter.

"At last!" she smiled. "I did it!"

[/b]

[b]

Bella was left in the dark regarding the matter. She doubted if she had offended her in any way. Mrs Fiona noticed the drastic change in her comportment and called to make an enquiry.

"Bella, what's wrong with you?" she demanded. "You are not looking happy at all." Bella kept quiet at first, but eventually she spoke her mind:

"It's Christie," she said. "She doesn't want to have anything doing with me anymore.

"Why?" Miss Fiona asked.

"I don't know," Bella said.

Bella felt somewhat desolated. Now she realised how intimate her friendship with Christie had been. She needed her so much, but she didn't give a heck about her.

Bella wanted to try again. She met Bella standing alone in the school garden, in a pensive mood.

"Christie, please tell me my offence at least," Bella spoke to her with a pleading voice.

Christie was silent, turning her back against her. Bella turned around to face Christie again. She turned the opposite direction and began to walk away. Bella hasted after her and held her by the hand, sobbing.

"Tell me my offence Christie and I will let you be!" Bella yelled amidst tears.

"Okay, if you insist...I will," Christie said and faced her. "How dare you lie to the whole school that I forcefully collected your #500? True I took it and gave it back to you, but you went about blasting the false news all about that I took the money away!"

Bella was shocked to the extreme. She wanted to speak but words had dried off her throat.

"Eeh...so it's true!" Christie yelled and clapped at her. "I gave you back the money. I gave it back to you; you are such a big liar for...for lying against me that I took it away!" Christie was shouting. Tears began to find there way out of her eyes.

"I gave up my bad ways when I saw you that day, Bella, but you went about spoiling my character. You went about lying against me!"

Christie could no more stand before her. She turned and began to hurry away. Bella stood like a tree and began to weep on the same spot.

Bella was certain of one thing; that she didn't tell anyone except Blossom her sister about her first encounter with Christie. So it was definitely Blossom who told Christie the whole thing.

"Oh my bad," Bella spoke under her breath. "When I found the money in Mrs Fiona's piece of love poem paper, I forgot to update Blossom about it. But is it right for Blossom to tell Christie this to her face?"

Bella knew she was in for more oppositions from her sister. She had just one thing to do: to beg her. Bella would do just that.
[/b]

[b] CHAPTER TEN

RIVALRY

The news of Bella's feat had spread like wildfire all around the school and beyond. Undoubtedly, Bella took much of the credit. She was presented publicly in both her school and her church as an epitome of good character.

"Bella Benson, I hereby declare you the most well-behaved student of MBC ever!" the Vice Principal of Morning Bell College announced on the assembly ground. A loud chant followed.

Christie suddenly emerged from nowhere and gave Bella a lift, balancing her on her neck. Everyone was shocked that even Christie herself could be friendly.

The atmosphere of the school had changed for good as everyone shared the joy of having their wonderful teacher come back to life. However, only one soul found the happy atmosphere inconvenient. It was Blossom.

Blossom began to hate every sight of her sister, even to her shadows. She wished she was the one being lionised in such manner.

Blossom began to plot her sister's downfall. Conspicuously, she didn't want to see her doing great at all.

Blossom developed a very cold attitude towards Bella. She decided to keep her younger sister at arm's length.

Blossom found Bella and Christie mixing together. It even seemed that the latter had begun to behave well. Blossom hated such development. She would do everything in her capacity to make them part ways.

"I think I know what to do," Blossom said and snapped her fingers when she saw them studying together.

Bella found Christie very interesting and jovial. She was humble too, Bella thought, for stooping so low to ask a junior student to be teaching her French. Just within a week of being in companionship with Christie, Bella had found her more interesting than her biological sisters.

Christie took the study of French very seriously such that Bella began to wonder if something was wrong with her.

"Madame et Madamosseille," Christie smiled happily to herself as she pronounced them. "J'adore le Francais."

Christie never knew she could learn French in her life, because she thought she hated it. Now she was getting along, enjoying it.

Christie demanded to know why Bella was always catching a shuttle bus to and from the school.

"What's wrong Bella?" Christie asked. "I thought it's only the less fortunate people that goes home from school with a shuttle bus. You should have someone, at least a driver, to always drop you in school and pick you up again. Does your father not have a driver?"

Bella didn't want to talk about that matter, because she always never wanted anyone to think of her mother as heartless. Christie understood her silence and changed the topic immediately.

Blossom had been hanging around for a while now, unnoticed. She had been staring into her watch to see if the time was not far spent yet. She was already done with her plan of sowing the seed of discord between Christie and Bella, so she was only waiting to execute it when possible.

Soon, Christie began to make for her class while Bella remained. As soon as she stepped out of the empty study room, John hurried in. He wanted to have something doing with Bella too.

Christie had just stepped out of the study-room when Blossom met her.

"Hi," Blossom greeted.

"Hi," Christie replied. "Can I help you?"

"Not really," Blossom said with a smile. "Do you know me?"

"Not at all," said Bella. "Who are you?"

"I'm Bella's elder sister," Blossom said politely.

"Oh, enchante mademosseille!" Christie said rashly in French. "Oh, I mean to say Nice meeting you!"

"You're welcome," Blossom said. "Actually I have something to tell you."

"Say on," Christie said as they walked further and further away from the study room.

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

"Bella, I'm so sorry," John said.

"For what?" Bella was inquisitve.

"For calling you a housemaid last week," John said with a penitent face. Bella smiled.

"That's nothing," Bella replied. "Thanks to your dad for picking me up in his car that day," she added.

John was staring into Bella's eyes, smiling.

"Why are you looking at my face this way?" Bella demanded.

"I...I love..." he coughed. "I love to learn something from you as well...like Christie."

Bella sighed.

"Something like what?" she demanded. "Of course you know I'm not better than you academically."

"But Mr Tony said you are very good at music."

"Oh! That? Maybe, I don't know," Bella replied shyly. "So you think maybe I can teach you music?"

"Of course!" John said.

"I need a teacher for that as well," Bella replied. "I'll be practicing with the school music club as from next week."

"Then lemme come along," John said. "I'll have to skip Mr. Tony's trial. I hope Mrs Dorcas will accept me into the club."

"Let's hope so," Bella replied.

Bella was surprised that Christie didn't show up for the French tutorial in the study room for two days.

"But she didn't say she won't come," Bella whispered to herself as she waited patiently for her to show up the second day.

Bella kept tapping the floor with her feet. She was restive. Eventually, she decided to go and see her in her class. The break period would soon be over.

Bella rose to her feet and began to make for the S.S.S 1 block. She got there in no time at all, but Christe wasn't there.

"Bella the magician!" they hailed her. She had become a household celebrity overnight.

"Please where can I locate her?" she asked.

"Maybe you should go and check her in the library," they said. "Recently she has become a very serious student," they said and laughed. Bella thanked them and began to make for the library.

Bella found Christie right in there, perusing a French textbook: "Apprendre Le Francais"

"Salut Christie," Bella said with a smile. She turned around and saw her. She hissed and turned her face away from her immediately.

"Christie!" Bella screamed with shock.

"Leave me alone!" Christie bleated at her. She was astounded.[/b]

CHAPTER TEN
FELIX MET FIONA

Bella stared at her wrist-watch time and time again as she awaited the arrival of Frank. It was fast becoming a forlon hope as time passed by without any sign that the man in question would show up.

Two of Fiona's siblings had come around. They were amazed that the doctor hadn't carried out their order.

The doctor explained the whole issue to them and they spoke with Bella.

"Young lady, are you sure of what you are saying?" asked Fiona's immediate elder brother.

"Yes, sir," Bella replied slowly. "Here is the evidence." Bella showed him the letter. The man read the letter and remained quiet.

Bella herself hadn't told anyone at home that she was leaving home for the hospital. No one at home would know of her whereabouts. She had only sneaked out.

Bella's phone began to ring. It was her mother. She didn't pick it up. Soon, Blossom began to call her too. She ignored the call and put off her phone.

The doctor couldn't wait anymore, so also was Fiona's elder brother. He spoke softly to Bella and prevailed over her:

"Young girl, I really appreciate your affection for your teacher, my sister, but she is gone, that's the reality."

Bella sobbed when she heard that. Fiona's younger sister cuddled her in her embrace to console her.

"You really love her," the lady said. "Our family will be forever grateful to you."

Fiona's remain was borne on a stretcher and transferred into the van which would convey her to the mortuary. Bella followed suit and wept.

Fiona's siblings entered the van and the car engine revved to life. Just then, Bella tearfully began to move towards the exit gate. She saw a car trying to make its way into the compound. Bella waited for the car to come in, but it halted just at the entrance of the gate. A teenager alighted and began to come towards Bella.

"Bella Benson!" the young boy called. It was Benjamin.

"Benjamin!" Bella replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same," Benjamin said. "I've been looking for you all these while."

"Looking for me? Why?"

Benjamin was shy.

"Nothing," he scratched his nape. "But for real why are you here?"

"I lost my class-teacher," Bella said with a sorry face. "Her corpse is in that van, ready to be moved to the morgue."

"Fiona?" Benjamin asked curiously.

"Exactly! How do you know?"

"Because my big brother's coming to see her corpse."

"Frank's your brother?" Bella said excitedly and Benjamin nodded. "Is he here?"

Just then, Frank came out of the car. At his sight, Bella rushed to meet him and pulled at his wrist.

"We have been waiting for you all day! Miss Fiona was madly in love with you!"

"What!" Frank yelled.

"See what she wrote," Bella quickly handed over the letter to Frank. He was shocked after perusing it:


Be my Romeo and let me be your Juliet.
Oh my Hero! When will your heart say To Let?
With my soul filled with Ero, I don't think I will ever regret
But how can I tell you that I LOVE YOU, FRANK.

When I fall, it is only for love
Yet I can't but stay so naive
If only I could fly into your heart like an ave
Then I won't hesitate to whisper LOVE INTO YOUR HEART, DEAR FRANK.

"Incredible!" Frank yelled. "Where is she?"

"Right in there!" Bella pointed to the van which was horning outrageously. Seemed the driver in there was already out of patience.

Bella led Frank to the van in haste and introduced him to Fiona's siblings as Frank.

"So...you are the man who...who..." Fiona's sister stammered and burst into tears.

Frank demanded to see her face. They uncovered her.

"What was the nature of her death?" Frank demanded.

"Insomnia," Fiona's brother said, but Bella was quick to say, "Lovesickness."

Frank was touched in the heart. How come Fiona loved him, yet walked out on him when he had wanted to ask her out?

Frank wept over Fiona's face. His tears dropped right on Fiona's fastened eyes.

"Fiona! I will always love you. You will forever remain in my heart, even though we didn't get to walk down the aisle in the real world, but we could do so in dreams. Why didn't you tell me that you are having feelings for me? Why did you walk away when I was about to propose to you? Why did you leave my heart broken? Why did you leave the world so soon? Why? Sweet Fiona, whhhhhyyyyy!"

Everyone watched in tears as Felix' tears ran around Fiona's face. Some of them sank right inside the corners of Fiona's shut eyes. Just then, there was a movement. Fiona blinked!

Actually, it was not Fiona that blinked, we did, everyone thought. When they all stopped blinking, she kept on blinking.

All mouths went agape!

Fiona coughed and sneezed and opened her eyes. Everyone was frozen with shock!

"Where am I?" Fiona asked in a low tone. Just then, she found Frank bending over her. She smiled. "So I've been daydreaming."

"You are not daydreaming Fiona," Frank said courageously. "This is Frank for real!"

Fiona thumped up.

"Frank? How come?" Fiona looked around and saw her siblings. Then she saw Bella.

"Bella Benson you are here too? What's happening?" Fiona demanded enthusiastically.

"A long story," Bella replied.

"Yeah, a long story indeed," the doctor said. "You were dead and your body was about to be moved to the mortuary."

"Over my dead body!" she screamed.

After the doctor had finished telling Fiona all what happened, Frank demanded, "Are you sure you are really in love with me?"

"Of course yes!" Fiona threw shyness behind her and replied at once. "But I didn't know how to approach you to say this."

"But you walked out on me when I wanted to tell you my feelings towards you."

"Christ!" Fiona yelled. "Was that you? I never knew it was you because I covered my face. I thought it was another 'brother-in-the-Lord again coming to disturb me as usual. I swear I didn't know it was you, my true love!"

At that juncture, Frank couldn't restrain from shedding tears again. He poured them out once more as he gave Fiona a passionate tight hug.

Benjamin was over-excited too. He gave Bella a tight hug too.

"Bella Benson, tthank you for saving big brother's life," Benjamin said.

"How?" Bella asked without resisting the hug.

"He would have committed suicide," Benjamin confessed.

Bella was declared the hero of the day by the doctor.

"Indeed this is another Romeo and Juliet's lovesickness," said the doctor.

"And now you should admit your wrong sir," Bella said, smiling.

"About what?"

"That your stethoscope is faulty," Bella said amusingly and they all burst into laughter.

Fiona demanded a hug with Bella. It was indeed very emotional.

CHAPTER TEN
FELIX MET FIONA

Bella stared at her wrist-watch time and time again as she awaited the arrival of Frank. It was fast becoming a forlon hope as time passed by without any sign that the man in question would show up.

Two of Fiona's relatives had come around. They were amazed that the doctor hadn't carried out their order.

The doctor explained the whole issue to them and they spoke with Bella.

"Young lady, are you sure of what you are saying?" asked Fiona's immediate elder brother.

"Yes, sir," Bella replied slowly. "Here is the evidence." Bella showed him the letter. The man read the letter and remained quiet.

Bella herself hadn't told anyone at home that she was leaving home for the hospital. No one at home would know of her whereabouts. She had only sneaked out.

Bella's phone began to ring. It was her mother. She didn't pick it up. Soon, Blossom began to call her too. She ignored the call and put off her phone.

The doctor couldn't wait anymore, so also was Fiona's elder brother. He spoke softly to Bella and prevailed over her:

"Young girl, I really appreciate your affection for your teacher, my sister, but she is gone, that's the reality."

Bella sobbed when she heard that. Fiona's younger sister cuddled her in her embrace to console her.

"You really love her," the lady said. "Our family will be forever grateful to you."

Fiona's remain was borne on a stretcher and transferred into the van which would convey her to the mortuary. Bella followed suit and wept.

Fiona's siblings entered the van and the car engine revved to life. Just then, Bella tearfully began to move towards the exit gate. She saw a car trying to make its way into the compound. Bella waited for the car to come in, but it halted just at the entrance of the gate. A teenager alighted and began to come towards Bella.

"Bella Benson!" the young boy called. It was Benjamin.

"Benjamin!" Bella replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same," Benjamin said. "I've been looking for you all these while."

"Looking for me? Why?"

Benjamin was shy.

"Nothing," he scratched his nape. "But for real why are you here?"

"I lost my class-teacher," Bella said with a sorry face. "Her corpse is in that van, ready to be moved to the morgue."

"Fiona?" Benjamin asked curiously.

"Exactly! How do you know?"

"Because my big brother's coming to see her corpse."

"Frank's your brother?" Bella said excitedly and Benjamin nodded. "Is he here?"

Just then, Frank came out of the car. At his sight, Bella rushed to meet him and pulled at his wrist.

"We have been waiting for you all day! Miss Fiona was madly in love with you!"

"What!" Frank yelled.

"See what she wrote," Bella quickly handed over the letter to Frank. He was shocked after perusing it:


Be my Romeo and let me be your Juliet.
Oh my Hero! When will your heart say To Let?
With my soul filled with Ero, I don't think I will ever regret
But how can I tell you that I LOVE YOU, FRANK.

When I fall, it is only for love
Yet I can't but stay so naive
If only I could fly into your heart like an ave
Then I won't hesitate to whisper LOVE INTO YOUR HEART, DEAR FRANK.

"Incredible!" Frank yelled. "Where is she?"

"Right in there!" Bella pointed to the van which was horning outrageously. Seemed the driver in there was already out of patience.

Bella led Frank to the van in haste and introduced him to Fiona's siblings as Frank.

"So...you are the man who...who..." Fiona's sister stammered and burst into tears.

Frank demanded to see her face. They uncovered her.

"What was the nature of her death?" Frank demanded.

"Insomnia," Fiona's brother said, but Bella was quick to say, "Lovesickness."

Frank was touched in the heart. How come Fiona loved him, yet walked out on him when he had wanted to ask her out?

Frank wept over Fiona's face. His tears dropped right on Fiona's fastened eyes.

"Fiona! I will always love you. You will forever remain in my heart, even though we didn't get to walk down the aisle in the real world, but we could do so in dreams. Why didn't you tell me that you are having feelings for me? Why did you walk away when I was about to propose to you? Why did you leave my heart broken? Why did you leave the world so soon? Why? Sweet Fiona, whhhhhyyyyy!"

Everyone watched in tears as Felix' tears ran around Fiona's face. Some of them sank right inside the corners of Fiona's shut eyes. Just then, there was a movement. Fiona blinked!

Actually, it was not Fiona that blinked, we did, everyone thought. When they all stopped blinking, she kept on blinking.

All mouths went agape!

Fiona coughed and sneezed and opened her eyes. Everyone was frozen with shock!

"Where am I?" Fiona asked in a low tone. Just then, she found Frank bending over her. She smiled. "So I've been daydreaming."

"You are not daydreaming Fiona," Frank said courageously. "This is Frank for real!"

Fiona thumped up.

"Frank? How come?" Fiona looked around and saw her siblings. Then she saw Bella.

"Bella Benson you are here too? What's happening?" Fiona demanded enthusiastically.

"A long story," Bella replied.

"Yeah, a long story indeed," the doctor said. "You were dead and your body was about to be moved to the mortuary."

"Over my dead body!" she screamed.

After the doctor had finished telling Fiona all what happened, Frank demanded, "Are you sure you are really in love with me?"

"Of course yes!" Fiona threw shyness behind her and replied at once. "But I didn't know how to approach you to say this."

"But you walked out on me when I wanted to tell you my feelings towards you."

"Christ!" Fiona yelled. "Was that you? I never knew it was you because I covered my face. I thought it was another 'brother-in-the-Lord again coming to disturb me as usual. I swear I didn't know it was you, my true love!"

At that juncture, Frank couldn't restrain from shedding tears again. He poured them out once more as he gave Fiona a passionate tight hug.

Benjamin was over-excited too. He gave Bella a tight hug too.

"Bella Benson, tthank you for saving big brother's life," Benjamin said.

"How?" Bella asked without resisting the hug.

"He would have committed suicide," Benjamin confessed.

Bella was declared the hero of the day by the doctor.

"Indeed this is another Romeo and Juliet's lovesickness," said the doctor.

"And now you should admit your wrong sir," Bella said, smiling.

"About what?"

"That your stethoscope is faulty," Bella said amusingly and they all burst into laughter.

Fiona demanded a hug with Bella. It was indeed very emotional.

[b]CHAPTER NINE
DESPERATION

It was no more news that Miss Fiona was gone. Frank sobbed as he told Benjamin about it.

"Bishop Daniel called me over the phone to share this news."

"This is serious!" Benjamin exclaimed. "When did this happen?"

"Just yesterday," Frank said, sobbing.

"So sorry about this big brother," Benjamin sympathized with him.

Frank was so pained that he didn't get to speak with her until she died.

"I don't think I will ever get married to anyone else."

"Why, brother? Why?" Benjamin was awed.

"She is my missing bone, don't you understand?" Frank said, weeping as he set his eyes on his brother.

"The Lord will provide you another," said Benjamin.

"Another? Exactly like Fiona?"

Benjamin was speechless. He just couldn't stop the tears flowing from his eyes too.

"God, why do you always take away my loved ones?" Frank began to murmur. "First it was my uncle, then my parents and and siblings; now my future partner! Why? Why?"

Benjamin quickly held his brother who was pointing upwards.

"Please sir, don't blame God, please. You have told me not to blame anything on anyone before. Why you now, brother?"

"Leave me alone!" Frank got mad.

While Frank was lamenting, his phone rang. He wasn't ready to pick it up. Benjamin stared into it and discovered it was Bishop Daniel's call.

"Sir, the bishop is calling," Benjamin said.

"Ben, don't disturb me, okay?" Frank yelled.

"But it is the bishop calling?" Ben argued.

"Bishop? Bishop indeed! Bishop, yet he didn't foresee the death of my beloved Fiona to avert it. What sort of Bishop is that?"

"Stop!" Benjamin screamed and Frank kept quiet. Benjamin began to regret his action immediately.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you big brother," he apologized. "But you don't know what the bishop may want to say. It could be good news."

"Good news?" Frank whispered in ambivalence. "Good news what?"

Frank listened to his brother and picked up the phone after the third attempt by the dialler.

"Hello...sir..."

"Hello brother Frank," the voice said from the other end. "Late Miss Fiona would be transfered to the mortuary today and your presence is highly required by the doctor before the transfer."

"My presence? For what?"

"I don't know myself," the bishop said. "All I know is that the doctor called me on phone that you must be there, that's all. Please do go there right now. Ebenezer Hospital, Allen junction."

"But...but...it isn't possible! How can...? Bishop! Bishop!!" the line was dead. "Dang!" Frank threw the handset at the chair.

"Sir...what are you going to do now? Are you going there right away?"

"Are you joking with me Ben? What on earth am I going there to do?"

"Maybe to foot the bill, I think."

"Foot the bill?" Frank yelled. "That's crazy! Since when does the church start pushing people's corpses on someone to cater for it? Of course I won't move a finger to do anything to the corpse of someone who hated my sight while she was alive."

"Sir, I thought you told me maybe she was shy that day or something."

"I don't think so anymore," Frank replied. "Fiona didn't return to the bishop to apologize for walking out on him. If she did, then I would have believed she was shy or something. I think she was only too proud and...and...wicked!" Frank burst out and began to weep.

"Anyway, let that be put behind you. Just show up in the hospital as the bishop says."

"Impossible! I am not budging a bit!" Frank insisted.

"If you indeed loved her while she was alive, then prove it to her in death by visiting the..."

"Shut up!" Frank screamed at his brother, banging the table concurrently. "Are you crazy?"

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

Bella was restive as she sat in the reception room of the hospital, awaiting the arrival of Frank. She was the one who engendered the whole idea of bringing Frank to see Fiona.

Earlier, Bella had tucked her hands in her pockets and had discovered Miss Fiona's love poem in it. When she unwrapped the paper, she discovered her missing #500 gently lying inside it.

"Ah!" she screamed inside the taxi on her way to the Ebenezer Hospital. "So here's where I kept the money," she whispered.

Bella quickly went through the poem again, taking her time this time around to ponder on every word in it. Bella spend time thinking on one line in particular:

'Be my Romeo and let me be your Juliet.
Oh my Hero! When will your heart say To Let?

'When I fall, it is only for love'

Bella began to relate the line with Miss Fiona's death.

"She said if she falls, it is only for love; she was in love with Frank, the choir leader according to the poem. I don't think she has told him about her feelings for him. Then in reality, she fell; she collapsed in her office and died. She must have died for love," Bella was talking to herself in the bus without being conscious of her surroundings.

"Wait, can love lead to death?" she pondered. "I know love could lead to sickness, being lovesick, but never heard it could lead to death too; I've got to check it out."

Bella quickly tapped on her sophisticated Android device which her father gave to her as her birthday present a day before he took his flight to Italy. She typed in Wikipedia and then demanded to know more about love. Bella found a lot on that word, 'lovesickness' and 'being love struck'.

"Yes! Miss Fiona died of lovesickness!" Bella banged her fist against the seat in front of her and the woman sitting on it turned her head at her and said, "You want to die in love too, don't you?"

All eyes were on Bella. The passengers were all laughing at her.

"Lover-girl," they chanted. Now she knew she had been speaking out all that was going on in her mind all the while.

Bella quickly ordered the driver to a halt at the next bus stop and jumped down hurriedly. She began to trek the rest of the journey to the hospital.

When Bella got to the hospital, Miss Fiona's remains had already been wrapped in a white cloth and placed on a trolley, ready to be transfered to the mortuary. A van was already waiting outside to convey it there.

After making some enquiries, Bella was told that the corpse was that of Fiona. She demanded to see her face, but the nurses shunned her.

Few minutes later, they began to push the trolley towards the exit door to transfer the corpse into the van in a stretcher. Just then, she rushed towards the door and hindered them.

"Miss Fiona cannot be dead!" Bella cried. "She cannot be dead!"

"Hey, leave the road, little girl. Your class teacher is dead!" they declared.

"She can't be dead! You won't take her anywhere! I must see the doctor!" Bella made herself rigid at the exit door. Two nurses grabbed her and pulled her off their path, but she anchored her right leg at the edge of the exit door.

"Young girl, get off!" they shouted on her but she didn't listen. When they managed to wheel off the corpse through the exit, Bella held tight to Miss Fiona's right leg which was already partially uncovered. At that juncture, the doctor appeared.

"What's happening here?" the doctor demanded. He was in a white work-cloth, with a pair of stethoscopes hanging on his neck. He had a piercing eyes and narrow noses which would leave one to wonder how he was breathing.

"A mad girl is resisting us," a nurse said.

The doctor ordered them to leave her and they did. Then he ddemanded to know why she was behaving in such manner.

"My teacher is not dead yet," Bella said confidently. "She couldn't be dead just yet."

The man grinned and said, "Young girl, I can understand your love for your teacher, but sorry to tell you this; you'll miss her forever."

"Sir...on what account are you declaring her dead?" Bella challenged him.

"Hurgh!" the man was shocked at the question, looking in awe at the little girl. He smiled and said, "What's your name little girl."

"Bella," she said. "I'm Bella Benson."

"Okay, right Bella, there is this test we do conduct on the dead people...I mean checking for the cause of death..."

"Post-mortem, I know," Bella belled. "Or autopsy, if you so wish. So what was your finding sir?"

"She died of insomnia," the doctor confirmed.

"I don't think so," Bella challenged him. "Rather, it's lovesickness instead."

The doctor pulled up his eyeglasses and sniffed. He was shocked that a little girl could know so much.

"H-how do you mean?" the man stammered.

"Here," Bella gave the letter to the doctor. "She wrote this just before she collapsed."

The doctor took a cursory look at it and began to correlate the term 'lovesickness' with the disease 'insomnia'.

"You are so so right little girl!" the man exclaimed eventually. "Insomnia could be mistaken for death by lovesickness!"

"Fact," Bella replied sharply. "Wikipedia said this."

"But she's dead all the same little Bella, so let the medical practitioners do their job."

"I think maybe she's concussed," Bella tried to raise some hope. "Give her a little time...a little time...maybe she might just get up again."

The doctor laughed.

"Well...I don't doubt miracle, Bella, but this body here has been lifeless since yesterday, I hope you know."

"Sir...maybe your stethoscope is faulty," Bella replied.

After spending more time talking, Bella suggested that the doctor should contact Frank, the man in question.

"Let Miss Fiona have at least a touch from the one she had been longing for in her lifetime. Then she would sleep well in her grave that way."

The doctor found the idea childish, but eventually, he listened to Bella and made attempts at reaching Frank. The only way they could reach him was through Bishop Daniel, whose contact the doctor had, since he was his family doctor. And so, Bishop Daniel was called on phone, who in turn called Frank.[/b]